Ghosty
by FaiKazahaya
Summary: Will Solace was a successful man by any means: he had a successful job, a beautiful home, and an even more beautiful daughter. But when a mortally injured wolf comes stumbling into his life, his life is thrown to the Fates. Would he be able to set things right again? Did he even want to? (Solangelo) (Nico/Will) (OCs)
1. Prologue: Moonlit

**A/N: Bear with me. I had my wisdom teeth cut out a couple days before beginning this, so I'm in a lot of pain. Other than that, I hope you enjoy. Remember: I do not own Nico or Will or any universe that belongs to Rick Riordan. There are, however, OCs in this fic. You have been warned.**

 **~ΨΩΨ~**

 **Ghosty**

 ** _Prologue:_** **Moonlit**

Will Solace had never been a real fan of winter. Quite the opposite, in fact—his colleagues and coworkers seemed to agree that he had the mind of a bear whenever winter came along. That is to say: _sleep_. He could tell what they meant now. Though he usually thought himself to be diligent and swift in his work, he found himself nodding off in his cubical in the hospital at only fifteen past ten that night. Kayla caught him dozing and gently scolded him, forcing him to go home and rest. Though Will grumbled and complained about the extra load of work he would have to do tomorrow, he didn't argue. Something was off that night. He never fell asleep during work. Ever.

So Will trudged through the snow-covered pavement to his car, and he paused at the door. He glanced over the top of the car, back towards the hospital. He was tempted to go back inside to finish the work he still had to do, but he knew that Kayla was watching him somewhere inside, ready to shove him into a snowbank the moment he tried to "overwork" himself again.

He couldn't help but chuckle. Kayla was like a sister to him—a kind but _very_ stubborn sister. Will got into his car, started it. He shivered, cursing himself for being so weak. Even if he overworked himself, the hospital was warm. He hated waiting the long agonizing minutes for his vehicle to warm up to a proper temperature.

His journey home was short. Little traffic moved along that time of day, and he sped along as best he could to be home as soon as possible. Now that he thought about it, he hadn't been home early enough to see Clara in a very long time. Perhaps he could catch her before she went to bed?

When Will reached his home (a modern-styled mansion provided from his father's wealth), one of his male housekeepers was waiting for him. Fenwick, he believed his name was. Clara called him Finny.

Fenwick was speaking the moment Will walked into the mansion. "Miss Clara has gone missing, Mr. Solace."

Will's blood went cold. "What?"

Fenwick dabbed his forehead with a handkerchief. He was pale and incredibly fidgety. "Her maid left to get her a cup of warm milk before bed and found her gone when she returned. There was this note on the desk." He handed Will a scrap of tissue paper.

 _I saw something outside the window again, Judith! I'm going out to find whatever it was. If it's a dog again—don't tell Daddy! I want to train him special so Dad will keep him this time. ~C.S._

Will crumpled up the tissue in his hand. "Have you notified the police about this?"

"Judith was heading off to do just that moments ago, Mr. Solace," Fenwick replied. "It hasn't been very long since she disappeared. In fact, I'm quite surprised that you're home early. But I'll call that the fate of God. You should go, Mr. Solace! She can't have gotten far! You should find her before she gets lost or—"

Will was already running out of earshot before the man could finish his thought.

 _Clara Eve Solace,_ Will scolded silently. _If this is about another damn dog—you're grounded for a month! No six year old should walk outside this time of day, especially with the kinds of people that live in this town!_

There was enough moonlight for Will to just barely make his way through the backyard woods without running into a tree or tripping over a root. There was an old path in the woods that Clara used to take all the time when Will and her mother would walk with her, and he jogged down it blindly while calling out his daughter's name. Where could she have gone?

"Daddy? Daddy!" a voice cried out.

Will skittered to a stop just as a mop of bright blonde hair popped into view. "Clara! What were you thinking running out here all on your own? You could have gotten _hurt_ —"

Clara grabbed his hand with a grip far stronger than any normal six year old and tugged him back where she came. "Come on, Daddy!" she said. Her eyes, blue like her father's, were swimming in tears. "Come quick! He's hurt! He needs help!"

"He who?" Will gasped as he stumbled behind her.

They ran into a tiny clearing in the woods, the moon above lighting everything in a silver tinge. But there was no mistaking the color of blood that stained the grass.

As Will struggled to catch his breath, Clara let go of him and dashed over to a mound of red, black and silver fur. She fell to her knees next to it.

"Daddy!" she cried, turning to where he was standing, frozen. "He's really hurt. Help him, Daddy! You're a doctor! Heal him!"

"That's a _wolf_!" Will said back. "I'm a doctor, not a veterinarian!"

Tears spilled over Clara's cheeks, and her trembling hands gripped the wolf's matted fur, staining her hands red. "Daddy, _help him_ ," she begged.

Shit. Clara hadn't cried like that in years.

As though being controlled by strings, Will found himself kneeling beside his daughter and the injured wolf. He had never grown strong enough to resist his daughter's tears. It would be like letting her down all over again. He hated to see that happen.

Will laid his hand on the beast's flank. The wolf made a small sound and opened his eyes the tiniest bit, fixing the man with a look that reminded him of a glare.

"He's lost a lot of blood," Will said obviously. He brushed away some of the red-soaked fur to reveal the primary source of the blood—a wound over his right foreleg. It looked deep, and it was full of dirt and other grime. "Clara. I want you to do something for me. I want you to go back to the mansion and tell them to contact Michael. Okay? Have them contact Uncle Mike. Tell him what's wrong. I'm going to try and stunt the blood flow for now. If you can, get him to come here as soon as possible. Got it?"

Clara looked determined. She nodded. "Yes, Daddy. He'll be okay, won't he?"

Will's heartstrings twisted at the concern in his daughter's voice. "Yeah. Yeah, he'll be just fine. Now go!"

She disappeared into the woods as Will returned his attention to the wolf. He ripped off a strip of his shirt and balled it up, using it to press against the beast's wound. The wolf grunted, scraped the ground with a weak paw.

"You move and you'll die," Will snapped, knowing full well that the wolf wouldn't understand him. He could help himself, though. "Hell, if you die, Clara will be disappointed in me all over again. Don't you fucking dare do that to me. After Kathrine…" Will shook his head. "Clare won't forgive me a second time."

The wolf opened his eyes a little more, the silver of the moon clashing with the dark color of the beast's fur.

"Stay alive," Will demanded.

Raising his head a little, the wolf touched his nose to Will's arm. It was colder than the night air and dry—weren't dog noses supposed to be moist?

Will hadn't thought to bring any water with him, but it was too late to worry about that now. For the time being, he needed to keep the wolf alive until someone came who actually _knew_ what to do. He ripped off another strip of his shirt and replaced the bloodied material against the beast's wound. The cold air made him shiver. It must be nice to have a blanket of fur right about then.

The wolf groaned and shifted on the ground. He nosed Will's arm again.

"You'll bleed out if you move," Will reminded him helplessly.

He grunted and stood anyway, shaking like a leaf as he struggled to his feet. He held his head and tail low, his ears folded against the back of his head. But he was standing.

Will couldn't put pressure on the wound while the wolf was standing, so he threw away the bloody compress and stood. "Is this it, then?" he grumbled, aching at the thought of telling his daughter how he couldn't save the wolf. She'd blame him even if he told her that the wolf had voluntarily left his care.

The wolf looked at him. Tilted his head. Nudged Will's leg. Then he hopped a few steps in the direction Clara had disappeared. He grunted and turned to look at Will. It was almost a pointed look, like _are you coming, or not?_

Not knowing what else to do, Will followed the wolf as he limped and hobbled slowly to the old trail and headed towards the mansion. Blood steadily trickled from the wound, but it seemed as though it was clotting up.

Will was baffled by how the wolf seemed to know what was going on. He kept close to Will's side as he limped on, sometimes resorting to lean heavily on the man's leg whenever he needed a moment to regain some strength. It was a long hour before they could make it back to the mansion, and by then the police were in the driveway and Michael himself was pulling into the lot. Clara was at the backyard door, and she cried out loudly when she caught Will and the injured wolf edging towards the building. She ran to them. The wolf sat on his haunches heavily, but his head was held high and proud for the girl when she fell to her knees and hugged him around the neck.

"Easy, Clare," Will said as gently as he could. "He's still really hurt. Did I see Michael's van pull into the driveway?"

Clara nodded wildly, but she couldn't speak. She was sobbing into the wolf's neck fur.

Not minutes later, Michael and a couple of policemen were with them. Mike, a vet with several animals of his own, kneeled beside Clara and asked her gently to let go of the wolf so he could get a look at the damage. She was obviously reluctant, but she let go of him in the end.

Mike seemed to know exactly where to look, examining the wound on the wolf's foreleg with a guarded expression. "He walked quite a ways, I'm sure?"

Will nodded. "He got up and came all the way here after Clara found him a quarter mile in the woods. Walked here, back, and here again from what I understand."

Michael nodded, and turned his attention to several other wounds that were on his opposite flank. "It's amazing he could walk this far. He's obviously lost a lot of blood." He looked over at Clara. "You say you want him to stay here, dear?"

Clara nodded.

"Clare…" Will sighed. "The wolf will get better much faster if we let him go home with Uncle Mike."

Clara's tears hadn't stopped their flow since they'd first spilled over. She sobbed and hugged the wolf again. "But—if he—"

"He'll be _fine_ ," Will promised her. "Uncle Mike will make sure of that. And he'll be fine much faster if you let him go home with Mike for a while. Alright?"

"I'll bring him back the moment he's strong enough," Michael said. He laid a hand on Clara's shoulder. "Uncle's honor. Cool?"

Clara's bottom lip trembled. She nodded.

"Alright," Mike said tenderly. "You want to help me get him into the van while Daddy talks to these kind men?"

Clara nodded again.

Mike squeezed Will's shoulder and shared a look with him. _He probably won't make it._

Will tipped his head. _Try_.

Mike nodded and turned to the wolf. He collected him in his arms with an ease Will could never have pulled off, and walked away with Clara trailing worriedly behind them.

Will watched them until he could no longer see them, and he turned to address the disgruntled and probably exhausted policemen.

If the wolf didn't make it…hopefully Clara wouldn't blame _him_ for it. He couldn't bear the thought of it. It was like a stone had settled in the base of his gut—always there, and always uncomfortable.

For that moment, he just tried to swallow that feeling and return his attention to the police.


	2. Chapter 1: Ghosty

**_Chapter One_** **: Ghosty**

The idea of the wolf was dreamlike at best the next morning. Will groggily got up and got ready for work. He had just about forgotten about everything that had taken place if it hadn't been for the speckles of red that was on his pajama shirt. It had somehow transferred in his dazed stumble to bed last night.

Will looked at the red for a long time before everything clicked into place. It _had_ happened. He'd have to make a call to Michael when he went on lunch break and had a moment to spare. As for Clara… it was almost 5:30 in the morning, but he'd try and get home earlier than normal to talk with her about what happened. It pained him that he had to load so much more work on himself the next day in order to do that, but he felt he had no other choice. Clara needed to know that the wolf might not make it—and that, in the end, it wouldn't be her father's fault.

Will was certain he hadn't misread Michael's expression. The wolf had lost a lot of blood, and he didn't have much chance for survival. It was a miracle the poor beast had lasted that long. Perhaps instead of the _what ifs_ , Will would end up having to tell her that the wolf hadn't survived the night.

A sick twisting in his gut formed—he really didn't want to be the one to break the news to her.

At work, he did his best not to dwell on the topic. He buckled down and attempted to get last night's work and everything else done as fast as he could. Every now and then, however, his thoughts went back to Clara crying as she held the wolf. _You're a doctor, Daddy. Heal him!_ And the wolf, climbing to his paws even though he had no strength left. He had glared at Will, jabbed at him with his nose, and forced him to follow as though saying: _Come on, you idiot. Let's not keep the girl waiting._

By the time lunch rolled around, Will was already exhausted. He had gotten a lot of work done, but he still felt like he had made no progress at all. It was all he could do to remember to call Michael for the bad news. He was already feeling horrible and guilty at the thought of his daughter's accusing gaze.

 _"Hey, Will!"_ Michael greeted him, sounding a tad too cheerful for the circumstances. _"'Sup?"_

Will felt like he was swallowing a golf ball. "Hello, Michael."

 _"Dude, great news!"_ Mike continued, not at all phased by his brother's blue attitude. _"And it's about the wolf too, so you can stop sounding like you're marching to your own funeral. He made it through the night!"_

Will missed a beat. "What?"

Once started, Michael could not be slowed down. _"I have no clue how he did it—and believe me, I know. I was monitoring him all night long—but he's already strong enough to lick his own wounds. Had to put a cone on the poor devil, and you can just see it in his eyes that he hates me for it. For better or for worse, though, his wounds already look like they're healing up nicely. Clare might just end up with the boy sooner than you thought."_

Will couldn't believe his ears. He was sure he was gaping wide enough to catch flies. " _What_?"

Michael busted out laughing. _"What?"_ he mimicked Will's voice. _"C'mon, Will! You can show a little more enthusiasm than that! Clara wanted the wolf, didn't she? Well, it seems like she can have him!"_

"What!" He snapped out of the trance he had been in. He didn't have to tell Clara that the wolf had passed away—but he most certainly had no intention of letting the wolf _stay_. "It's a wild animal, Mike!"

 _"Well, yes,"_ Mike admitted. _"But here I am having to put him through human care in order for him to heal, and Clara most certainly will want to see him again. By legal standards, he'll soon be categorized as a danger to public safety if he gets too cozy with humans."_

"But Mike," Will said. "Surely you can understand—I don't want a pet. The housekeepers can only handle so much, and I really don't want the extra burden."

 _"Oh, c'mon Will!"_ Mike said. _"At least have a talk with Clare before you jump the gun. She's the one who wanted so badly for him to recover. You should at least take it up with_ her _before you try and get this wolf put into some kind of zoo just because you didn't want to feed another mouth."_

Will gritted his teeth. Counted to ten. "Fine," he said. He slowly exhaled; his hand was gripping his cellphone so tightly he was afraid it might break. "I'll talk with Clara this afternoon. I was already planning to do that, anyway. Just… Ugh, just don't try and talk with her before I get the chance, would you? I don't want her getting any ideas."

 _"Sure,"_ Michael said. _"But I'm pretty sure she already had the idea, Will. You'll be arguing to a stubborn six year old who wants a friend. Honestly, with all I know—you'll be arguing with a younger version of yourself! I remember how you were when you were little, kid. Just keep that in mind, 'kay?"_

Will had stopped listening. "Yeah, yeah, sure. Hey, I'll talk to you later, Mike. If something happens, let me know."

There was a sigh on the other end of the receiver. _"I will, kid. Don't get yourself into trouble with Clare, alright? She might tear you to pieces."_

"I'll take my chances. Have a good day, brother."

After lunch, a new fear arose:

 _She'll want the wolf_.

No, that was wrong. The fear had always been there, but it had been tucked as far away as possible until the wolf's fate had been exposed. Before, the beast had no chance of survival. Turns out it survived—and now Clara would want the wolf.

No matter how much Will felt like it was the least he could do to let her have him, he still didn't want to take care of anything else. Another burden to carry—another life to ruin, just like with Katherine.

Will sighed and covered his face with his hands, forgetting about the piles of work for him to finish. Perhaps she had been right, those years ago. He loved Clara, but it was difficult. Without a mother, a child was deprived of everything. Especially when her father worked early-day, late-night jobs like Will did.

Perhaps the wolf wasn't such a bad idea after all. Well, maybe not a wolf. A dog or cat, perhaps? Something that could keep her company but not be a potential danger to her safety.

Will sat back in his chair and scratched his temple, deep in thought. Mike told him to let Clara give her thoughts. Will knew she really wanted a pet—in fact, the incident with the tissue-paper note wasn't entirely new. She snuck out to seek some stray animal she saw lurking in the backyard woods more than a couple times before. But Will had always refused the animals when Clara asked to have them. It was too much to worry about, wasn't it?

Wasn't it?

Frowning, Will turned and looked out of his office window. It was gently flurrying, the dashes of white against the dull grey of the clouds a strangely soothing sight. A block away from the hospital, just in the edge of his vision from where he sat, the snow-covered arch of the town park peeked from around the ice cream shop Clara loved when she was younger. He wondered if she still liked getting ice cream from there. If she ever yearned to play with him and her mother again in the park. Katherine had always promised the girl a dog, but only if she promised to take care of him.

 _"I will, Mama!"_ Clara replied, cheeks rosy from the late autumn air. She was smiling so wide, her blue eyes alight with enthusiasm and excitement. _"I promise, I'll take great care of him! Can we take him here to play fetch?"_

Katherine had laughed. _"Only if you teach him to fetch, honey."_

Then she turned her head, red-tinged brown hair glinting in the sparse sunlight, and looked at Will. She was smiling a calm, easy smile. One Will wouldn't see again for a long time.

 _"What do you say, Will?"_ she asked. _"Do you think we can trust her promise?"_

A knock drew Will from his brooding. He snapped his head around and looked at the door. With an exhale, he sagged back into his chair. "Kayla," he greeted, eyeing the papers on his desk. He still had a lot of work to do, and the sun was already starting to sink below the building horizon.

Kayla glanced out of the window as though curious as to what had held his attention for so long, before she looked back at him. "Will," she said. She adjusted the clipboard in her hands. "It's half-passed five already. Shouldn't you get home?"

Will frowned. He looked between her and the clock. "Who told you I needed to be home?"

"You were pretty loud at lunch," she said. "You were talking with Michael, weren't you? How is he nowadays?"

"Well enough," Will grunted. He looked back at the mountain of work still to be finished.

Kayla placed her hand on his shoulder. "Forget about it, Will," she said, as though reading his thoughts. "You're already weeks ahead of time. You can survive another afternoon to yourself. It sounded like you really needed to go and see your daughter, anyway. Come on, I'll sign you out right now. Up! Up!" She pulled him to his feet.

Will stumbled at the sudden movement, catching himself before he could collapse to the floor. He sighed and looked at the work again. He'd have _so_ much work to do tomorrow.

But he let Kayla lead him out of the building nonetheless.

The trip home was just as cold and miserable as the day before—just brighter and with more traffic. But he made it home in one piece. His butler seemed surprised to see him pull into the garage early, though. His hand with the handkerchief fluttered about his face as he waited for Will to come into speaking distance.

"Mr. Solace," Fenwick said.

"I know," Will cut off whatever Fenwick would have said next. "Where could I find Clare?"

"I-In her room, of course," the man said. He folded his handkerchief and stuffed it into his breast pocket. "If I may be so bold, Mr. Solace...this wouldn't happen to concern last night, would it?"

"It would," Will replied.

Fenwick said nothing else, as though those two words held every answer in the world. He turned and led Will into the mansion, to Clara's room. The man knocked on the door. "Miss Clara? Miss Clara, are you there?"

"I'm here, Fenwick!" Clara's voice came from within. From inside, Will could hear her jump to her feet and skip to the door. Then her blonde head popped into the hallway. "Did you come here to pl—Daddy?"

Will tried to smile at Clara's stunned stare, but he was certain it looked strained. "Hello, Clare. Did you have fun at school?"

Clara seemed to not hear him. Her face suddenly brightened and she swung open the door with such force that Fenwick had to leap into action to save the wall from collision. "He called you! Uncle Mike called you! He did, didn't he?! How's Ghosty? Is he okay?"

"Ghosty?" Will wondered.

Clara grinned and nodded, showing off a missing tooth. "It's his name! Ghosty!"

An uneasy knot formed in Will's gut. She already had a name for the wolf. "Come on, Clare," he said as patiently as he could. He gestured down the hall. "Let's go on a walk. I have to talk to you."

Clara's smile fell. "Did he… Did Mike…?"

Will exhaled. "The wolf is fine," he reassured her. Clara brightened again as though her previous expression had never existed, willing to follow her father as he walked down the hallway. The knot in Will's stomach eased somewhat. At least she wasn't blaming the wolf's death on him.

But now—the hard part came.

"But…" he began, already beginning to regret his next words. "Were you intending him to be your pet?"

Clara turned to him, eyes wide with consideration. Will felt like he was being scrutinized. "No," Clara said, surprising her father. "But," she continued before Will could sigh in relief, "I _did_ want him to stay with us."

Will frowned. "As a pet," he said, confused.

Clara shook her head, stopping them before they could step out into the courtyard. A crisp breeze snuck through the doggy flap—Will had put it there when Katherine had first mentioned getting a dog, and he had never had the heart to get rid of it. He had invested himself too deeply into his work. "Ghosty isn't a pet," she said, a determined light gleaming in her eyes. "Neither are any of the dogs I tried to convince you to let me keep. I'm six, Dad. I want a _friend_ , not a pet."

That statement seemed far too old for her years. Will swallowed and tried to compose himself. "You have friends at school," he reminded her.

"Maybe," she admitted. Her eyes flickered away for a moment. "But Ghosty… Didn't you see it, Daddy? He was all alone. I don't want anyone to be alone, Daddy."

Will sighed weakly. He laid a hand on her shoulder, kneeling down to her level so he could better look her in the eyes. "But say that he has friends out there." He gestured out the courtyard doors, out into the wild. "Would you really want him to be away from them?"

Clara's eyes teared up. "I know that, Daddy," she whispered. She looked down at her shoes, at a loss for what to say. "I just… I just wanted him to have a friend while he was recovering…"

"You mean a temporary companion?" Will asked.

Clara nodded.

The knot in Will's stomach twisted, then eased despite the chaos whirling in his head. "Well, if it's only for a little while…" he said quietly. He pushed his eyebrows together in thought.

The girl looked up.

Will smiled. He tried to ignore the guilt he felt for the tears trailing down Clara's cheeks. "How about this," he said. "Tomorrow is Saturday, right?"

"Yes, Daddy," Clara replied, confusion and curiosity etched into her face.

Will nodded to himself. "I'll skip work," he said, surprised by his own words. He never skipped work— _ever_. Leaving early twice in a row in itself was strange. But he was willing to sacrifice for the sake of his daughter. If a temporary friend was all she was asking for, rather than one that would last for years—Will could make himself live with that. He just hoped the housekeepers could handle the extra work. "I'll call Uncle Mike tonight, and we can go and visit the wolf—erm, Ghosty—in the morning. Then we can perhaps talk about taking him home soon and monitor him as he recovers... How does that sound?"

It was like Will had flipped a switch. At one moment the girl had been puzzled and worried, and at the next moment she was grinning and hopping on her toes. She cried out her excitement and hugged her father after a fit of dancing and giggling.

Will couldn't breathe. Clara hadn't hugged him since Katherine.

"Yes yes yes yes yes!" she chanted, bouncing on her heels. "Thank you Daddy! Thank you!" She hugged him tighter, her entire form trembling with energy.

Will could only nod and manage a small "you're welcome" before she was running down the hall, to her room, yelling at the top of her lungs how she would get her homework done as soon as possible so they could see Ghosty. Fenwick appeared at the end of the hallway, clearly frazzled by the exclamation.

Clara turned back to her father before she disappeared around the corner, and she waved. "I love you, Daddy!" she called.

Those three words made everything that happened next worth it.

 **~ΨΩΨ~**

 ***waves* You can review/comment if you want. I won't bite, I swear.**


	3. Chapter 2: Midnight

**_Chapter 2:_** **Midnight**

Will had trouble sleeping that night. It had nothing to do with the call he'd had with Michael to warn him of their visit, and it wasn't even the excitement his daughter had shown at the thought of getting to properly meet her new friend. Both of them had expressed joy and determination that unsettled Will's nerves, but that wasn't the reason why he was tossing and turning, unable to close his eyes.

Eyes. That's what he remembered from his night when Clara pounced on him early the next morning to wake him up. The silver-tinged eyes of the wolf that glared at him when he tried to address his wounds. The eyes that gleamed with the same determination Clara and Mike had spoken with. The eyes that looked at Clara's crying face with a softness that hadn't matched up with any of the wounds that littered his body.

Will knew that in allowing Clara to take home the wolf, Will would also have to help take care of him. Buy him food, perhaps play with him if Clare demanded he do so, but that wasn't what Will felt sick about.

It was the wolf.

Will couldn't easily put what he had felt into words, but the wolf seemed to possess this frightening intelligence even in the simple glares and glances that he threw at Will. One that no wolf could ever hope to mimic. So why was Will allowing his daughter to bring home such a beast that might potentially become a danger to them?

That was a question he didn't know the answer to.

When Clara hopped and hopped on Will's bed giggling and calling for Daddy to wake up, Will was dazed with uncertainty. He could call all of this off—he could still protect the family he had left. All he had to do is call Michael and cancel the visit and to tell Clara they couldn't keep the wolf after all. He could come up with something. Some kind of excuse.

But Will dreaded the look of sadness that would overwhelm his daughter if he told her. After all, _she_ didn't know the dangers he sensed from that wolf. She didn't know what she was getting herself into. She just wanted a friend.

Clara fell down on top of Will and forced a grunt from him. She giggled at his disheveled appearance, and Will couldn't help but smile a little. "It's nine o'clock, Daddy!" she informed him. He blinked in surprise—he'd never slept in so late before. "Time to get up! You promised!"

"Then you better get off, hun," Will said immediately. "I can't get ready with a heavy Clare on my chest."

Clara jumped off in a heartbeat, squealing with excitement.

Temporarily, Will was able to forget about the possible danger and just enjoy how happy his daughter looked. He was able to get up and get ready after he told the girl to get her stuff together and eat some breakfast—"I already _have_ , Daddy! It's not my fault you're so slow!"—and soon he was calling Mike to warn him that they would be there within the hour. After a small breakfast, they were out the door.

And the fear began to settle back in.

 **~ΨΩΨ~**

"I'm glad you're actually letting Clare bring him home," Mike said as he led the two of them into his home. It was smaller than Will's mansion, and by comparison it was much cozier. If it hadn't smelled like wet animal fur, Will might have offered his brother a trade. Let Mike be the favorite son for once.

Clara stooped to pet some young kittens, and Will watched her as he replied to his brother. "She told me she just wanted to watch over him until he had recovered. I supposed that I could deal with an animal temporarily."

Michael snorted in amusement, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Is that right?" he said. He grinned sideways at Will. "Always a sucker for tears, aren't you?"

Will scrunched up his nose and glared.

Mike immediately raised his hands in surrender. "I get it, I get it," he said, laughter clear in his voice. He turned his attention to his niece. "Clare, darling, your patient is this way!"

Clara looked up from the kittens and returned to them without much remorse. She bounded ahead in the direction Michael pointed to, and the two men had no choice but to follow her.

"Look," Michael said once Clara was once again out of earshot. He had a thoughtful look on his face. "I understand that what you're doing must pain you. I get that. And that's why I'm congratulating you here."

"Is that what this is?" Will muttered.

"So, just hear me out," he said. "I know you're a bit sensitive when it comes to money— _why_ you are, though, I have no clue. Dad gave you that mansion for a reason. You have loads of the stuff."

"Get to the point, Michael."

"Right. So, this is concerning caring for the wolf," a strange look passed over his face before settling on an amused expression. "He won't eat dog food."

Will frowned.

Michael nodded. "Yeah. Probably a thing from being wild. The _best_ I could do for him was some leftover chicken and steak. Even then he seemed like he was being forced to eat."

Will sighed. Of course the wolf would have issues. He couldn't get off easy with _anything_ , could he? Like a normal dog or something. He was suddenly regretting turning down Clara's other adopted pets. At least _they_ could survive on cheap food. "I'll deal with it," he said with difficulty. "It's only temporary."

Mike nodded again.

Clara was bouncing on her toes when they finally caught up with her, facing them with an impatient look on her face.

"Easy, tiger," Mike said when he saw her expression. "He's just in the room over here. I had to separate him from the other animals for precautionary reasons. Oh, also." Michael turned back to Will. "I've given him a few customary vaccinations. Rabies, diseases, worms, parasites…all of the like. But he's not fixed. Keep that in mind if you're going to let him roam free."

Will's mouth felt sealed shut by some invisible force. He barely managed to nod at his brother's words.

Thankfully Michael had already turned back to Clara, barely acknowledging Will's nod. "Come on, Clare," he told her cheerfully. "Let's go see how your friend is doing."

They disappeared through the door, leaving Will to follow behind at a slower pace. He was already starting to regret his decision—even though he wasn't really given much of a choice.

Will stopped in the doorway, and his eyes locked on the wolf.

Well, to call him a "wolf" now would be a bit of an overstatement. He _was_ larger than the average dog with fur the color of midnight and piercing eyes just a few shades lighter than his fur, but other than that the wolf looked no more intimidating than a kitten. Though, that might've had something to do with the white cone around his neck.

As though the wolf had heard Will's thoughts, he reached up with a hind paw and scratched at the plastic angrily, straining to remove it. His tail was tucked between his legs and his ears were folded flat against his head, clear body language that said: _get this off of me or kill me now._

Will was concerned that the wolf might snap at Clara if she got too close, but he merely grumbled as the girl kneeled beside him, his head held low.

"Hi Ghosty," Clara said, smiling at the wolf. "Are you feeling better?"

As answer, the wolf scratched at his cone again.

Clara turned to Michael. "Why does he have a cone on, Uncle Mike?" she asked, as though she hadn't noticed it until the wolf had pointed it out.

"It's to make sure he doesn't lick his wounds," Mike answered. "Not all animals do it, but it's best not to take that chance. He might break the stitches closing his wounds if he could reach them."

Clara frowned and looked at Will. "How long will he need the cone?"

Will honestly had no clue, but Michael stepped in and saved the day. "A week more at least."

The wolf grumbled some more.

Clara looked back at Michael. "If he won't lick his wounds, then could you take it off?"

Michael blinked, surprised at the request. "Uh, I suppose so? But it's usually just safest to let them wear it, whether they'll lick themselves or not. It's in his best interests, Clare."

The wolf scratched the cone.

"He wants it off," Clara translated the wolf's actions.

"All animals do," Mike replied.

Clara's eyes turned pleading. "If you take it off while we're here and he doesn't lick himself, could he perhaps not have to wear it?"

Michael seemed to be as immune to Clara's begging as Will was. He sighed, defeated. "He's your friend, I guess," he mumbled. "Just understand that if he _does_ lick his wounds, he'll _need_ the cone so he doesn't break the stitches."

Clara nodded in understanding, and Michael walked over and undid the wolf's cone, freeing him. With it gone, Will noticed a collar and leash binding the wolf to a small area—probably also to keep the wolf from straining the stitches. If Clara was also upset about the leash, she didn't let on.

The wolf stretched slowly and relaxed his posture, his ears pricking up at Clara. She talked to him and sat beside him on the doggy bed he was confined to, her fingers combing through the uninjured areas of fur of his neck. The wolf let her, his eyelids sliding closed until they were half-lidded.

She told him about how she saw him walking along the woods near her window, and how she noticed his limping and grew concerned. How she wrote Judith a note and went out to try and help him. And how, after they saved him, she had lost a lot of sleep worrying about him. At that point Will had become stunned by his daughter—he had no clue that she had been so upset at the prospect of not being able to see the wolf recover, even for a couple of days.

The wolf seemed to listen intently, watching Clara as she began to speak energetically with her hands, gesturing far and wide along with the stories she told about telling her friends all about "Ghosty". He did not act alarmed by any of the sudden movements she made. In fact, he didn't even blink whenever a hand flew close to his face. He just sat there, tall and attentive. Silent.

"I was scared that Daddy wasn't going to let me take you home," she admitted, the tone of her voice hinting that her monologue was nearing its end. Her eyes flickered to her father, who was still standing in the doorway. "Um, I had to make sure it was only temporary, though. You probably have a family out there somewhere, but I'm glad Daddy is letting me be your friend for at least a little while. After Mommy went away, he never let me have a friend at home."

Will stood shock-still. Was Clara talking about her mother _to the wolf_?

To make matters even worse, the wolf turned his head to Will. The man felt cold chills running down his spine—those _eyes_. They were still intelligent. Calm. Calculating. Too human-like for a wolf. A stone of dread settled at the base of Will's gut, making him feel nauseated.

A sigh shuddered down the wolf's flanks. He nosed Clara's shoulder.

Clara had stopped talking, frozen with guilt. At the gentle touch she shook herself off and brightened again. She tried to, at least. "Anyway," she said, forcing a smile on her face. "I hope we can be good friends until you have to go home. Is that okay, Ghosty?"

The wolf made another soft grunt in response, his ear twitching.

Clara's smile turned genuine. She petted the wolf's midnight fur and turned to her father. "When can we take him home, Daddy?"

Will exchanged looks with Michael. "We probably should let Uncle Mike hold onto him for a couple more days, Clare," he said. His gut twisted at the sad look he received. "You know, to make sure that, ah, Ghosty won't hurt himself again so soon after his accident. How does that sound, Mike?"

Michael's lips were twisted up in an odd way. Will would have found the look funny under any other circumstances. But not then.

"I'm not entirely certain," Michael admitted. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "If I were to be completely honest with you, Will, the wolf has been acting much tamer now than he was when he first awoke. Meaning Clara's time with him seems to be productive for him. It might actually be a good idea to take him home _now_ , and let you call me if any problems come up."

Will frowned. "What do you mean, tamer?"

Mike smiled. "Meaning the poor devil was angry as Hades when he found himself stitched up, bound to a small area with a cone on, and all alone. I have a lot of animals here and at work to care for, Will, just as you do with people at the hospital. Maybe if he has someone like Clara to be home for longer and just sit with him and talk to him, then he might be able to stay complacent enough for him to heal."

Will looked at the wolf only to find him already looking right at him. His dark eyes bore right through the man, seeming to agree with Michael's statement. Though calm, Will could picture the wolf thinking, _get me the hell out of here._

Clara was also looking at Will. "Can we please, Daddy?" she pleaded. "Can we take him home?"

Will looked from Clara to Michael to the wolf. It looked like he didn't have a choice. Again.

He exhaled slowly. "…Alright. We can take him home."

The wolf cocked his head at Clara's squeal of joy. She bounded over to Will and slung her arms around his waist in a tight bear hug. "Thank you, Daddy! Thank you!"

Will laughed weakly and patted her head. "Of course, Clare."

Clara darted to Michael and dragged him to the wolf. "Come on, Uncle Mike! _Come on_!"

Michael unwrapped the leash and handed it to Clara at her demanding look. Her uncle seemed concerned about her safety, but the wolf moved too stiffly to handle walking fast enough to drag her along. He could only push himself for a few steps before his ears cocked back against his head, revealing his annoyance and pain.

Will stepped aside to let them pass, and the wolf looked up at him for a long moment, already trying to catch his breath. He pressed his nose against Will's knee and eased onward with Clara. The touch tingled even through Will's jeans.

Will and Mike exchanged wary looks, and they followed Clara and the limping wolf with midnight fur.


	4. Chapter 3: Shadow

***waves timidly* So, the boring pre-wolf stuff is over with. Anyone care for some Ghosty?**

 **LONG CHAPTER WHOO!**

 **~ΨΩΨ~**

 ** _Chapter 3:_** **Shadow**

Will returned to his regular schedule once Clara had to return to school the following Monday. He wasn't behind on his work just as Kayla had promised, but the fact that he wasn't _ahead_ twisted him up worse than anything. He couldn't help as many people as possible if he spent all of his time with his daughter and his impromptu wolf patient. Even if what he did made him a better father.

The wolf was adjusting to life in the mansion about as well as Will had expected. That is to say: he could only hold still from struggling against his bonds whenever Clara was sitting with him in his small corner in the dining room. Will had told the chef to give the wolf only real meat, no dog food, to which the wolf ate, but he ate disdainfully.

The wolf did not have any problems that any unbroken animal would have had—a small mercy—but other than that, Will had no clue how they were going to make it through the week with Clara going to school and Will going to work. The housekeepers were very wary of the wolf, and with good reason. The beast would flatten his ears, tuck his tail between his legs, and growl when anyone other than Clara was near.

That Monday morning, Will had gotten up with his alarm at his usual 5 o'clock. The sky out of his window was completely dark, save for the stars scattered across the sky and the waning moon.

He got ready for work, unusually groggy, but he blamed that on getting used to sleeping in. Showering and getting dressed, Will picked up the manila folder on his dark oak desk and flipped through the papers within. If he was going to be able to catch up, he'd have to work late for the entire week. The thought wasn't so appealing to him anymore.

Sighing, Will stuffed the folder into his bag and headed to the kitchen in complete darkness, knowing not even the housekeeping staff would be awake at that time. He shuffled down the labyrinth of hallways easily in the dark, having grown accustomed to walking that path over the years.

When he reached his goal, he flipped on the light of the kitchen and started the coffee brewer. There was a mug already under the nozzle as always, as the chef always made certain that Will didn't accidentally stain his beautiful countertops again.

Will took his coffee without cream or sugar, the harsh bitter taste helping to wake him up. He stumbled to the dining room, plopped down into a chair, and eyed the digital clock gleaming in the darkness. 5:42 AM. He still had a bit of time before he had to leave.

A grumble from the corner almost made Will spill his coffee in surprise. He set down his mug and glanced over, meeting eyes with the wolf in the dim lighting.

The wolf seemed rather irritated at being prematurely woken up. He snorted, ears flattened, and buried his nose in the extra-large doggy bed that Clara had chosen for him the day they had taken him home. It was a pleasant navy blue color with a brown hem, and the wolf nearly blended in with it in the dark room.

Will was tempted to apologize to the wolf, but he held himself back. What use was there to talk to an animal that couldn't understand him?

Even though the wolf had eyes far too intelligent for his kind, Will didn't yet understand the full extent of "Ghosty's" knowledge.

That changed over the course of the next several weeks.

 **~ΨΩΨ~**

Will Solace was terrified.

And why shouldn't he be?

He was certain by then that they were watching him from afar. Though he never had the guts to actually properly scrutinize them, he could figure they were male.

And very large.

It wasn't even a _large_ as in six foot seven football players. Something about them was taller than the tallest men, and much burlier than any man Will had ever seen, and he was almost certain that the strangers were wearing _fur cloaks_ rather than modern clothes. Like they were cave men or something.

That coupled with the fact that they had been spying on him for three weeks was really starting to make Will feel agitated. But what could he do? He had work to do. He was waist-deep in surgeries and paperwork and had no spare time to bring the police into the mix.

Especially after Kayla had claimed Will was only seeing things.

But the question was—was he? Was it just a hallucination? He hoped so. He was really starting to get sick of looking over his shoulder every five minutes in fear of the men in fur somehow teleporting right behind him or something.

The men hadn't confronted him or anything. Not yet. They actually usually left before the sun sank below the horizon, before Will could take off work. He'd been kicking in the latest hours he could to get back into work and _quit thinking about that wolf._ But that didn't stop the man's constant worries from calming down. Their stares unnerved him. What were they thinking? Where they plotting to kill him or something? What the hell _for_?

Before Will could lose too much sleep over the issue, _they_ came up to him to answer his questioning. That one night, they had actually waited for him to leave work, circling him the moment he was too far from the door or the car to flee. He didn't try to run. He knew he stood no chance. He just stood, transfixed with alarm bells ringing in his head, as they spoke.

And their words had struck a chord within Will that had only heightened his terror.

When he was finally released to return home that night, he did so in a daze. He couldn't even breathe a weak greeting to Fenwick as he stumbled off, pale as a sheet, to his room. How had he survived that encounter? They were obviously not right in the head. Or the body. They could have torn him to shreds in an instant, and yet they had only held him in place as they asked him questions.

 _'Do you know where he is?_ ' he remembered one, the sole female in the group, asking him. She had seemed the scariest of all of them, her night-black hair and silver-tinged eyes reminding him vividly of the wolf when Will had first encountered him, glaring when the man had pressed his wound wrong.

Will sat on the edge of his bed, staring into space. His mind was buzzing too fast for him to sleep. He couldn't even dream of the idea. What if _they_ followed him home? Figured out his lie?

His heart froze. Clara. Fenwick. Judith. What would become of them if he had angered those otherworldly people? Did he just sign their death warrant? Should he have told them the truth?

A sharp thwack against his leg made him jump a foot in the air. He just barely managed to hold back a high-pitched scream. _Did they find him?!_

Will looked down.

Ghosty stared back.

Not the strangers. Just the wolf. Just Ghosty.

Slowly, Will's heart rate went back to semi-normal. He counted his breaths and tried to organize his thoughts. But he couldn't think. Not with the danger they could be in. _This_ time it was just the wolf, but what about next time? And how did the wolf even get in his room in the first place? Hadn't Will closed the door?

Ghosty nosed Will's knee, making a humming noise in the base of his throat.

Will's skin felt cold and clammy. His bangs stuck to his forehead, and he was certain his face was a sight to behold. At least he didn't have to worry about interrogative questions from a wolf.

Ghosty nosed Will's knee again. He stamped a paw on the ground and met Will's eyes.

The wolf had made an unusually swift recovery from his injuries (at least according to Michael). He was already almost entirely recovered, his stitches removed and his movements strong and graceful. Clara had decidedly removed Ghosty's collar and leash as soon as Michael came over and claimed that the wolf was finally strong enough to move around freely, and Will had been certain at the time that they would never be able to catch the beast again.

The wolf had taken full advantage of his freedom. Though he always returned, he and Clara would often go out to the courtyard or the backyard and just run. Will had never been home to see it, but Fenwick and Judith had told him enough stories of the duo's grand adventures for Will to get the gist of how the wolf was handling his recovery.

Will still had no idea why the wolf hadn't bolted at his first chance at freedom. But that wasn't the main concern on Will's mind at that point.

Ghosty grumbled and closed his teeth gently over Will's knee, drawing the man's attention for the third time. Will wasn't alarmed by the action. He knew the wolf had no intention to hurt him. Those strangers, on the other hand…

Will exhaled. "Why did they want you…?" he muttered.

Ghosty tilted his head.

Will had no idea why he was telling the wolf what happened, but for some reason instinct started to take over. If he didn't get this off of his chest to _someone_ , he felt like he might explode. Or at least become an insomniac. One of the two.

Will clasped his hands together in his lap, staring at his fingers. He felt the slight dip of the bed shifting beside him, and the wolf settled down on Will's bed a fair distance from the man. His eyes urged Will to keep talking, and he did.

"I don't know how long they were watching me," Will began, not looking at the wolf. "But once I realized they were there, they were the only thing I noticed whenever I looked out of the window during daylight hours. There were, uh, five of them? Six? There might have been more. I don't know. But they were always outside watching me work. Like they were waiting or something."

Ghosty's ear twitched.

Will laughed, but the sound sounded hollow and weak. "They cornered me today. After work."

Will's voice faltered. His hands trembled in his lap.

Ghosty's shoulder brushed against Will's arm. His head was tilted up at the man, as though he was intently listening. It was a look he had whenever Clara would tell him stories about her school life. No matter if the stories were boring or not, he always watched with his ears pricked. Transfixed. Understanding.

It drew Will to keep speaking, even though dread had already claimed his stomach. He gagged into his fist, and when nothing came up after a couple of moments, he forced himself to continue. "They asked me if I had seen you. A black-furred wolf with multiple lacerations. I—I tried to ask them why. They kept demanding to know if I knew about you or not. Because I smelled of wolf. That's why they had apparently watched me for so long."

Ghosty pressed his muzzle against Will's chest.

Will offhandedly wondered if he could hear the man's racing heartbeat. Would he even care? "I…I lied to them. I claimed that you, uh, had been with us for years. That I had raised you from a pup when I found you alone in the woods. It's, ah, not as strange as you might think. I was all about helping anyone hurt I came across. I probably wouldn't have stopped with a wolf pup when I was younger." Will was babbling now, but he couldn't stop himself. The fear of the strangers tracking him home and finding that he had _lied_ —

Ghosty pulled back his head and looked Will dead in the eyes. He hummed and reached up to touch his nose against Will's cheek. It was cold and moist—healthy.

The touch was far more comforting than Will was expecting. He found his shoulders sagging, his muscles aching from where they had been set stiffly for so long. He blurted his thanks for the comfort, and the wolf grunted in answer. Ghosty stood on the bed, pushing at Will with his paw.

The man was so disoriented that he didn't even question the wolf's action. To him, it seemed like Ghosty was saying: _you're exhausted. Go to sleep. Everything will be fine._

Will was too exhausted to argue.

 **~ΨΩΨ~**

Will tapped the butt of his pencil against his office desk, staring at the papers in front of him. It was difficult for him to focus with the prospect of those strangers from last night cornering him again, but somehow he managed to work at a slightly slower pace than normal. He still glanced out of the window of his office every few minutes, but they weren't there. Like they had vanished after last night, their point made. For some reason, that scared Will more than seeing them.

What if they had found their way to his home? Found Ghosty? He was almost certain that the wolf was the one they'd been looking for. What would happen to the others in the mansion when they found him? _Why_ did the strangers _want Ghosty_?

Were they trappers? Hunters? Was Ghosty being hunted? That would make sense; his injuries had been far too deliberate and severe to be done by another wolf. Or, that's what Will supposed. He wasn't much of an expert on animals. Humans made more sense to him. Everything concerning Ghosty was foreign to the man.

Will tilted his head to look at the window. No one.

He turned his attention to the clock instead. It read 12:34 PM. No unusual calls or anything had been made. No patients had arrived for him, either… But it was still pretty early.

Will glanced out of the window again.

He chewed the end of his pencil, his nerves going haywire. He couldn't concentrate under these circumstances. What the hell was with those people last night?

Will was almost tempted to go back home to check on the place. Make sure everything was normal. But he held himself back. There was work to be done, people to take care of.

Just as he thought that, he was called to check on a recovering surgery patient. He grunted as he stood, not able to help his eyes glancing one last time towards the window, and turned to leave.

Wait.

Did he just see something by his car?

He turned back.

Nothing was there.

Will narrowed his eyes, heart rate starting to pick up. Was one of the strangers there, still watching? Maybe going to try and steal his car? Something about that thought seemed odd, like those strange cave-men-like people were too out of the norm to do anything to his car. But the thought did nothing to soothe him.

His hand twitched to his pocket. His phone was still there. Good.

He turned and went to check on the patient.

Nothing was unusual about the girl when he checked over her injury, a nurse by his side. She had a broken arm from a sports accident which was setting properly, and her multiple bruises were fading. Will told her that she'd be able to go home today, just as soon as her parents came to pick her up.

The girl brightened at that, beaming at him.

Will smiled back.

A hand tapped his shoulder. He looked up and frowned at who it was. She was supposed to be checking on supplies on the other side of the building, not standing behind him with a troubled look on her face. "What is it, Kayla?" he asked her, the nurse beside him handing the injured girl her lunch tray.

"I think you might want to see something, Will," Kayla said. She sounded uncertain, as though she didn't quite believe what she had seen, either.

Will stood from his chair beside the injured girl, raising an eyebrow. But inside his heart was frozen—did she see _them_? Was she finally able to see them, when Will couldn't? He forced himself to push away those thoughts and somehow stayed calm. "What is it?" he repeated, his voice strained.

Kayla shook her head. "Something in the parking lot. Come on, I'll show you." She disappeared out the door.

Will exchanged puzzled looks with the nurse before she told him to go ahead and follow Kayla. The woman was well-known throughout the hospital, and it was a common known fact that she was never startled easily, and the way she was acting was highly suspicious.

He nodded at the nurse and, after telling her to keep the injured girl company and contact her parents, followed after Kayla.

Whatever the man had been expecting, he had not expected to be taken to the exit of the building. To the parking lot. What if she had actually seen the strangers? Was she leading him _right to them_? He grabbed her arm and stopped her before she could open the door to the parking lot. "What the hell, Kayla?" he said, struggling to keep his voice down. "Why are you taking me _to the parking lot_? What did you see?"

"You'll see," she insisted, tugging her arm to no avail.

Will's eye twitched. "What if it's dangerous, Kayla? I have no clue what you're dragging me into—what did you _see_?"

"Nothing dangerous," Kayla said, giving him a sharp look. "In fact, from everything I've heard, exactly the opposite. If I didn't hallucinate or something, I'm pretty sure there's a friend of yours outside."

"A friend?" Will asked, doubtful. _The strangers?_

Kayla nodded. " _Yes_. Now let go of me, you oaf."

She tugged herself out of his grip and opened the door.

Will flinched, expecting to be jumped the moment the door swung open, but nothing happened. Snow dusted over their shoes, and the cold snuck its way through Will's thin clothes. He hadn't thought to bring a jacket.

Will crossed his arms tightly across his chest and glared daggers at Kayla. She pointedly ignored him, taking him by the wrist and all but dragging him into the snow-covered abyss.

"What the hell is this, Kayla?" Will growled. "You know I hate the cold! You could have _warned_ me before I had to go out in the cold without—"

Will stopped, staring.

"Wait." _Am I seeing things correctly, or is that…?_ "…Ghosty?"

Said wolf huffed, ears flattened at being caught, and trotted from his hiding spot behind Will's car.

Kayla let go of Will's wrist, putting her hands on her hips. "As I said. Friend."

"Friend," Will repeated dumbly. "Right."

Ghosty sat down in front of Will, his black fur clumped with little mounds of white.

Will forgot for a moment about the cold, and kneeled down in front of the wolf. "What are you doing here, Ghosty?" he wondered quietly. He looked around, as if expecting his daughter to be there too. "Did someone bring you here or something?"

Grunting, the wolf curled his tail over his paws. A sudden breeze made Will shiver.

Kayla bent down to pet Ghosty, and the wolf flattened his ears even more and bared his teeth at her, growling. She retrieved her hand quickly, startled by the violent behavior. "Uh, I don't know about friend _ly_ , though." She giggled nervously. "This is him, though, right? The wolf you took in last month?"

"Yeah, this is him," Will said, his voice tinted with confusion. "Though I have no clue _how_ he's here. Weren't you in the mansion before I left? Did Fenwick let you out? How the _fuck_ did you get all the way out here without being run over by traffic?"

If Will had expected an answer, he didn't get one. The wolf just pricked up his ears the moment Kayla backed up a safe distance and focused his eyes on Will.

Will's eyebrows furrowed, but the cold was becoming too much to bear to worry about the wolf any longer. His breath puffed out in a cloud of mist, and he turned to Kayla with a shiver. "The building has a no animal policy, doesn't it?" he asked halfheartedly. He already knew the answer.

Just as he thought, Kayla nodded.

Will pursed his lips and looked back down at Ghosty, who was watching him intently. "I have no idea how you got here, but I think you ought to go back to the mansion before Clare gets back home." Not that Will was expecting the wolf to understand. "But if you're still here by then, I guess I might as well call Fenwick or Judith and warn them so Clare doesn't get worried…"

Ghosty stood and shook the snow out of his fur, getting Will drenched in the mush. Will jumped up with a shout, rubbing his arms in an attempt to dry them.

"What the hell, wolf!" he barked. "I'm already cold enough as it is! Why did you have to go and do _that_? Ugh, now I'm going to get hypothermia or even worse, a _cold_."

The wolf seemed to laugh, shaking himself again. He walked forward and nipped Will's fingers, his warm breath unfreezing them temporarily.

Will grumbled at the wolf. "If you get me sick, you'll never be forgiven," he muttered. "Ever."

Ghosty's tail lifted and twitched, the warm flank of the wolf pressing against Will's legs.

Will sighed, nudging the wolf's head with a knuckle. "Really, though. How did you find me all the way out here? It doesn't make a lick of sense."

Obviously amused, Ghosty licked Will's hand.

Will made sure not to overreact that time—he kind of saw it coming, if he was going to be honest with himself. The wolf was way too intelligent for his own good, and usually made sure to make fun of Will whenever he could during the early mornings and late nights when Will was home. Whether just a way he pronounced something or something he had said or done, Ghosty was very keen and usually not only understood, but made sure Will absolutely _knew_ that the wolf had caught on.

Will wasn't surprised by that much—but Ghosty _following him to work_?

"He seems to really like you," Kayla mused behind him.

Will looked up. He had forgotten she was there. "Oh, uh, yeah, I guess. I mean, I don't know about him _liking_ me, per say. But he tolerates me. Clare has always been the favorite."

Kayla was close to laughter. "And he _tolerates_ you by following you to work?"

Will huffed. "I have no fucking idea, Kayla. Maybe he was just bored and wanted to see if he could find me or something? Though he could have _easily_ gotten lost."

Ghosty snorted.

Will nudged the wolf on the head again. "I guess I'll take him home," Will said, "so Clare doesn't have a heart attack when she realizes that he isn't home."

Ghosty hummed and stepped on Will's foot.

Kayla nodded at the man. "That sounds like a good idea, Will. Just be careful on the way home. The roads are a bit slick today."

"I noticed." Will sighed. "I'll go back inside and get my stuff and sign out early. Can you stay out here and watch him for me?"

Ghosty growled, butting Will in the leg with his muzzle.

"Don't give me that, Ghosty. You shouldn't have come out here in the first place," Will snapped. "Now I'm going inside to get my coat. Kayla, stay. Ghosty, don't hurt Kayla while I'm gone. Got it?"

Ghosty growled again and bit the end of Will's pants, tugging him as he tried to walk back into the building. The wolf made an irritated sound, ears flattened. He looked very offended by Will's lack of trust in him.

"Ghosty," Will said, glaring down at the wolf. Challenging. "Let _go_."

The wolf growled again, but he released Will. He pawed the ground, scratching the ice, and grumbled.

"Thank you. Now, I'll be back. _Behave_."

He gave Ghosty a pointed look before returning to the building.

He was only away for a few minutes, but Ghosty already looked as though they had wasted an hour by the way he was pacing through the snow, Kayla standing back a respective distance with her arms crossed against the cold.

"Thanks, Kayla," Will told her as he came within speaking distance. "You take care, alright? Don't get in any trouble because of me."

"Don't worry, Will. I won't. You deserve to take a break just as much as the rest of us."

Will was about to argue that _no, this isn't a break_ , but Ghosty bumped into him and cut him off with an accusing growl.

"Oh, don't you be giving me _that_ again," Will said. He kicked the wolf gently against the side, and Ghosty bit him in reply.

Kayla laughed at the exchange. "Well, I'll be going now," she told Will. "Take care on these roads, alright?"

Will nodded. "I will. See you tomorrow, Kayla."

Kayla smiled and disappeared into the hospital.

As soon as she was gone, Will turned back to the fuming wolf. "Let's get you home, then."

Ghosty glared at him.

Rolling his eyes, Will headed to the car with the wolf trailing behind at a sluggish pace. He opened the door behind the driver's seat. He gestured in. "In you go," he said.

Ghosty hit him with his tail on the way in, and had jumped into the passenger's seat by the time Will had closed the door and opened his own.

Will just sighed. He wasn't worried about ruining the crisp white seats with the wolf's black fur, but the action alone told him that the wolf was not pleased. If he was going to go out of his way to rub Will the wrong way, getting angry was the last thing he wanted to do in response.

So Will just threw his bag into the back seat and started the vehicle, Ghosty sitting regally in the seat beside him with a haughty expression.

"You think you're _so_ smart, don't you?" Will murmured.

Ghosty huffed proudly.

As Will drove out of the parking lot and headed for home, he just couldn't help but laugh, earning him a glare. He was relaxed now, watching the world speed by, without a care in the world. All because the wolf had come to find him.

Because no matter _how_ the wolf had found his work place, at least it wasn't those hunters.

 **~ΨΩΨ~**

 ***smiles evilly and slinks away***


	5. Chapter 4: Black

**_Chapter 4:_** **Black**

"It hasn't been this crowded in the road for a while," Will mused, squinting out the windshield. "But, that may be just because it's lunch rush. I haven't gone home this early in years."

Ghosty smudged the window with his nose, looking back and forth at all of the cars moving around them. His ears were pricked, interested, probably because he had never had to drive in the middle of town like that before. He seemed to not even hear Will's mumble.

Will couldn't help the smile that brightened his face at the sight of the wolf. He was acting like a normal animal, pawing the window like he wanted to roll it down and stick his head out against the wind. The sight amused Will, and it also warmed his heart.

Maybe he was glad he hadn't backed down on letting Clara take care of Ghosty. Maybe.

He certainly wasn't regretting his decision anymore.

Will turned his attention back to the road, taking care to stay slow against the slick spots there were. The town hadn't done well against the black ice that day, and it was showing. Someone had been lazy in applying the salt.

That thought made Will angry. People could easily wreck in these conditions! Why were they being so lazy when the population depended on the roads being clear and safe?

There were enough lunatics as it was.

As though he sensed something in the air had changed, Ghosty turned and looked at Will. His ears were still pricked, and he tilted his head, panting. The hot air streaming into the car probably wasn't the best thing for the wolf, but Will certainly needed it before he caught something that would make him miss even _more_ work.

Will shook his head. "I hope Clare doesn't have trouble getting home today…" he mused, suddenly worried. "What if the bus slides into a ditch? Hits something? This road is way too icy for any sane man to drive on if he didn't have to!"

Ghosty grunted, peering out of the window again.

Will shook his head again and sighed. "You know what? It doesn't matter. I'll call the school and bring Clara home early. I'll drive there myself!"

Ghosty glanced back at him.

Will nodded, certain. "Yep! I'll drop you off, call the school, head back up, and—"

A blaring screech cut him off, followed by a crash. Will stomped on his brakes before he could hit the car in front of him, who had done the exact same for the wrecked cars in the intersection before them. His tires screeched against the pavement, the noise making Ghosty whimper in pain. But Will couldn't focus on the wolf. There was smoke curling outside.

"Oh god _damn_ it!" Will cried. He was up and out of the car before he could process his thoughts. For now, all he could think was _there might be injuries_.

As he ran he pulled out his phone and dialed emergency services. One of the cars had flipped, and the driver was struggling to crawl out of the crushed door, glass making the woman's hands bloody. He told the services what happened as he helped her out of the vehicle, and asked her if there was anyone else in the vehicle. She gasped, spinning around, and clawed at the cracked glass of the back seat window. She called for someone, presumably a daughter by the name.

Will ended the call with the authorities and gently pushed aside the woman so he could assess the damage. There was someone there, on the other side, screaming to be let out. Still alive, but Will couldn't tell how critically.

"I need something to break the glass," Will barked at the woman and the people streaming in to see what had happened. "Is there anything I could use?"

Someone ran for a vehicle and came up with a hammer. They handed it to Will without a word, and Will thanked them before shouting into the glass.

"You need to get as far as you can to the other side!" he said. "Can you do that?"

"I can't feel my foot!" the girl inside wailed.

"Is it stuck?" he asked.

The girl shuffled to the other side of the vehicle, her back pressed to the glass. "N-No."

"Alright, I need you to stay calm. I'll get you out. Stay right there and cover your eyes and nose."

She did.

With a strong swing with the sharper end of the hammer, Will struck the broken glass and tugged away large chunks. His hands came away stinging and bloodied, but he kept himself focused on the girl. "There, there's enough room for you to come through. Can you crawl?"

"My foot…" she whimpered.

"I know," Will said soothingly, holding out a hand for her. "But I can't look at it if you don't come out here. I'm a doctor from the hospital in town. Come on, now. Let's get you out."

The girl took his hand after some hesitation, and painstakingly crawled out of the vehicle, glass biting into her hands and knees. Her foot was bent at a strange angle when Will could finally get a glimpse of it.

"Broken," he said matter-of-factly. He didn't dare touch it. "It will need to be set in the hospital as soon as possible. Ma'am, can you walk? Help me get her away from the vehicle."

Once they were safely away from the accident, Will turned to the other car, which was still upright but under the other vehicle. Some people were trying to follow Will's lead by breaking into the vehicle and helping the victims out of the car. Three came out, one unconscious and heavily injured. He rushed to him first.

It was already too late to save him. Will grimaced, and closed the dead man's eyes with a hand.

He went to the next person. She wasn't as bad, but she was on the verge of falling unconscious due to her injuries. Will ordered the closest onlooker to come and apply firm pressure to the deep abdominal wound she had. The person scrambled to obey.

The third person was scratched up pretty badly, but not nearly as bad as the other two. He looked more in shock than anything. His eyes stared at nothing as another pedestrian knelt beside him and spoke to him soothingly.

Damage known, Will stood and headed back for the girl. She had to have her foot set as soon as possible so it wouldn't heal incorrectly.

Will had to walk around the vehicles to get to them, and he vaguely heard the sound of barking in the background. His eyes flickered to the sound for a moment. Ghosty. Will had closed the door. He was stuck in the car, jumping from seat to seat anxiously and barking loudly. All of this, Will saw in an instant.

In the next, the heart-stopping sound of a car screeching behind him made him turn around.

Something made a horrid snapping noise. There was red everywhere. In his eyes. In his hair. Everywhere. Pain flared in a searing iron brand against his head. His torso. His legs. All in an instant.

He was on the ground. Cold ice on his back. Black ice.

A voice was calling for him. A man's voice. Calling his name.

His eyes rolled in his head, trying to seek out the voice. Too much red. Too much pain. Can't see. Can't talk. Black ice. That's what it was. That's what it was. Black ice.

He recalled making some sort of gargling noise. When he tried to speak. But the words failed him. Wouldn't come out. Couldn't come out.

Where was Ghosty? He wanted to ask. Where was Ghosty? He needed to go home. To Clara. To Clare. Home.

But his mouth wouldn't work. Neither would his eyes. Why was he seeing red?

In the pain, a cloth rubbed away the red and was pressed against the side of his head. His eyelids flickered. But his eyes didn't want to work. He wanted to look up. All he could see was the black road. Black ice. Ripped black jeans. Old black army boots. The edge of an almost-black leather jacket.

Then snow. On the ground. Against his face. Snow hands, cold and soft. Like snow. Holding the cloth. Clearing his eyes of the red. Blood, Will recalled. That's what it was. Blood. Red. Not snow.

But there. The man. Snow skin. Snow white. Black clothes. Black ice.

"Hang in there," the man's voice said. "You'll be fine, Will. You'll be fine."

Will made a gargling noise again, this time weaker. There were other voices everywhere, shouting, screaming, murmuring. But the man's was strongest. Calmest. Soothing.

Will's pain faded. Shock. He'd die if he went into shock right now. He gargled again. Tried to move. There was nothing. He couldn't feel it. The man didn't act like he'd seen him move. Will was still going into shock.

Ghosty. Clara. Michael. Kayla. Katherine.

Katherine.

Ghosty.

Clara.

Will held on to that thought. Clara. She was safe. Ghosty was safe. They were fine.

His eyes slid closed as bright flashing lights danced in the distance.

Then there was only black.

 **~ΨΩΨ~**

 **I give my love and thanks to those loyal few who have given me their opinion of this fic before now. You're the only reason I'm still writing this.**

 **If the rest of you still want this fic to continue, hit me up on the review/comment box below. I'll hold on to the next chapter until then.**


	6. Chapter 5: Flicker

**_Chapter 5:_** **Flicker**

The first thought that crossed Will's mind when he grew conscious was: _why are the walls so bright?_

His eyes had fluttered open, and he had to squint against the harsh lighting of the room. Who would make the walls such a bland, bright white? That seemed like a design flaw. And the light streaming in through the window only made things worse.

His head felt like it was floating, separate from his body, but soon it was beginning to throb gently with a headache. His eyes ached—strike that, _everything_ ached. It felt like he had been run over by a steamroller.

It took a few more minutes for him to register what had happened.

He barked a laugh, and his head throbbed even worse from the action. _He was in the hospital._ It was sad to realize that the walls were so bad for a waking patient only when _he_ became the patient. He would have requested a décor change if he had known before.

Will glanced around the room, the shadows contorting into strange shapes around him. Probably a hallucination. He was hooked up to softly beeping machines, an IV drip in his arm. Yep, they were giving him some kind of pain medication. That explained the shapes. He was very sensitive to the stuff.

So, he had been hit by a car trying to get around the wreckage. He examined his injuries. There was a lump on his left leg—a cast, perhaps. He knew he had to have snapped at least a couple of bones.

He breathed in. Broken ribs. At least three.

Great.

He was going to have to miss a month of work to recover.

His eyes flickered up at the sound of the door opening. It was Kayla.

"Well, look who's up!" she said, smiling down at him as she walked over to check his vitals.

Will hummed.

"Do you remember what happened?" she asked, exchanging the IV bag with one that didn't have any sleep medication in it. This accomplished, she stood over Will with her arms holding her clipboard close.

"No," Will said, his voice cracking at the end. He moistened his lips. "Not all of it."

Kayla nodded. "You suffered a mild concussion, so it's not surprising you can't remember some of what happened. You have a broken leg, four broken ribs, and a fractured collarbone. Severe internal bleeding. You got hit by a truck."

"I figured that much," Will grunted.

Kayla laughed. "You had everyone pretty scared for a while there, you idiot. Clara's been here three times already asking about you. And the guy who was with you after you got hit is still here right now, though the actual man who hit you is gone and is being charged for reckless driving. He was dragged here by that other man when you were first admitted. Weird guy. But it seemed like he meant well."

"Who?" Will asked. She was talking too fast for him to keep up properly, but he got the gist of _the person who as with him when he was hit._ His eyebrows furrowed as he tried to remember, but everything after heading for the girl with the broken foot was a blur of pain and blood. There was a man's voice that he recalled. But what had he said? Will couldn't remember. His head was throbbing.

Kayla looked over at the door, seeming to consider something. Then she looked back at Will. "I'll be right back," she promised. Then she was gone.

He was left even more confused than before. Where was she going?

She returned within a few minutes, opening the door to let someone else in before her. "I can give you a few minutes," she said, her voice low and focused on the man she let into the room. "It really isn't visiting hours, but he's conscious, so…"

The man nodded. "Thank you," he murmured, his voice heavy with an accent. What was it? Italian?

Kayla nodded and shut the door behind her, leaving the two men in the room alone.

Will had to struggle a bit against the aftermath of the medication to register the sight before him. The man turned to Will, and Will found that he was decked out in all black—black jeans, black shirt, and black shoes. He had a leather jacket tucked under one arm.

The sight triggered a memory within Will.

"You're him," Will blurted out.

The man's head twitched. His pale complexion proved to be a stark contrast against all of the black he was wearing, making him look almost like a ghost, but his cheeks darkened as Will watched, as though Will had embarrassed him. "Him?" he wondered.

Will nodded despite the throbbing in his skull.

The man tilted his head. His shoulder-length black hair was tied back into a loose ponytail, but a few stray locks managed to fall over his dark eyes. He looked down at Will, seeming to scrutinize him.

Will tried not to squirm under his gaze.

"Would you care to elaborate?" said the man, his lips twitching slightly. "For all I know, _him_ can mean quite a few different things."

Will frowned. "Like what?"

The man just sighed. He walked over and held out a hand. "Never mind. If you meant that I was the 'him' who stayed with you after you were hit, then you're right. My name is Nico. Nico di Angelo. It's a pleasure to finally meet you—conscious, that is."

 _That's a hot name_ , Will wanted to blurt out, but he bit his tongue before it could slip out. Fucking medication. He never reacted well to it. But what could he say? The name _was_ pretty hot. So was he. Nico di Angelo. Victor of Angels. That was Italian, all right.

Will blinked, realizing Nico was just standing there waiting for Will to say something. Before he could help it, he felt his own cheeks heating up. (Though he doubted Nico could see it. He was certain he was still black and blue on at least one side of his face.)

Will moved the arm that wasn't hooked up to the IV and shook Nico's hand. The man's grip was strong and a bit on the cold side. "I'm William Solace," Will told him. "But you can call me Will, if you'd like."

Nico's eyes danced with amusement. From up close, Will could see that they were almost black themselves, stopping at a warm dark chocolate color. Will's heart skipped a beat. "Then I shall, Will Solace. May I sit?"

"Sure," Will said.

There was a chair next to the bed, but Nico acted like he never even saw it. He eased himself onto the edge of Will's bed, turned enough so he could face Will. He draped his jacket over Will's legs. "I'm relieved to hear that you'll be leaving the hospital within the week," Nico said before Will could say anything. His lips twitched upwards.

Will grimaced. "I guess so."

Nico arched an eyebrow. "Why do you sound so disappointed? I figured you'd be pleased. You'll be able to go home and see your daughter again soon."

Will looked up. "You know my daughter?"

Smirking, Nico tapped the cast covering Will's leg. "She's been by a few times. She came in here only once while you were unconscious, but every other time she sat with me and told me stories about you. She's a cute child, not to mention determined. She got angry every time they wouldn't let her see you. The poor lady she was with was always on her toes to make sure she didn't sneak off for your room."

Will's eyebrows furrowed. "Angry?"

"Upset," Nico revised.

Moistening his lips absentmindedly, Will gazed at the man beside him for a moment. He realized something. "How many times have you been here?"

Nico's eyes flickered over Will's face, making the man feel self-conscious. He wasn't normally into men, but _damn_ — Will shook the thought away before it could escalate. He shot a glare at the IV drip on his other side.

Nico was frowning when Will turned back to him. He looked from Will to the IV and back before he morphed his expression into indifference. "I tried to come by as much as I could. I wanted to be here when you woke up."

"Why?" Will asked dubiously.

Black hair fell over Nico's eyes, and the man blew the lock away irritably. His cheeks were darkening again. "I was troubled that you would not make it," he said. His eyes locked on Will's. "After your daughter came that first day after the accident, she admitted how worried she was. At the time, you had lost a lot of blood and you weren't showing signs of recovery. It took two long days before they told me that you were going to be fine. I was waiting for you to wake up so I could tell your daughter the news. Perhaps, though, it's not necessary. You could probably just call her yourself."

Will glanced at the phone on the far wall. He'd have to get up to reach it. "Probably not immediately," he admitted.

Nico chuckled. "Perhaps not."

A frown crossed Will's face as another thought crossed his mind. "And _how_ did you manage to get here every single day? I doubt the staff would let you up so many times unless you were a part of the family. Or _close_ to the family, I guess."

Nico grinned. The look seemed impish, if a bit on the nervous side. "About that," he said. "I might have lied to them."

Will's frown deepened. "What did you say?"

"I kind of told them that we…" His hands seemed to be cut free of the bonds that had kept them in his lap. They fluttered up, gesturing between them, as Nico's face struggled to stay calm. He looked on the verge of busting out in laughter. "Were a thing," he finished.

It took several counts before Will caught on. His face flared up with heat. "Oh fuck," he muttered with a groan. "You know that I _work_ here, right?"

"That would explain the utter surprise I received when I told them, yes," Nico mused. He noticed his hands still fluttering in the air and trapped them between his knees. "But I figured that was my best option. I wanted to make sure you woke up. I can deal with the consequences."

 _Sure you can,_ Will thought. _But can I?_

He made sure not to voice that thought.

Nico tilted his head, looking like he had heard Will's internal voice. "We can break up as soon as you'd like," he said seriously, even though his voice was laced with amusement. "How about that?"

Will huffed. "Whatever."

Nico smiled. The sight sent Will's heart aflutter, and he cursed the medication for the umpteenth time. "I should probably leave before someone comes by and notices me," the man said, glancing towards the door as he spoke. He made to stand. "It was good to see you finally awake, Will."

Will's heart plummeted. "Wait!" he said, grabbing Nico's wrist.

Nico turned, and Will scrambled to think of something to say.

"Did you see Ghosty?" he asked. "The wolf, I mean. I was taking him home before the wreck. Is he safe? Did Clara tell you?"

A strange look passed Nico's face before it vanished, and Will blamed it on the medication once again messing with his head. He'd have to ask Kayla to lower the dosage. "The wolf, you say?" he said. He seemed to know what Will meant. "He's fine, from what I understand. Clara—your daughter—told me that he was anxious and jumpy when they finally got him home. But otherwise he was fine."

Will exhaled. "Good. That's good. Thank you."

Nico nodded. "No problem."

He turned away again.

"Um, wait." Will was really starting to push it, but he actually had one last thing to ask. Nico turned back again. "Is there anything I could do for you? You know, as thanks for everything?"

Nico looked surprised. "Like what?"

"I don't know, um…" Will thought about it. "Coffee, maybe? No, that's a stupid idea, um… Just, I dunno. Money? Dinner? Just, something? I really want to thank you for helping me. You didn't have to and I, uh..."

A smile was beginning to form on Nico's face. "Coffee sounds good."

Will had been twisting his fingers together in his lap, staring at them stubbornly, but Nico's response shocked him into looking up. "It—it does?"

"Sure," Nico replied. He brushed away the hair that kept falling over his eyes, and Will caught a glimpse of a faint scar over his right eyebrow. How had he gotten that? A fight?

Will breathed in deeply. "Well, alright. That was easy," he mumbled. Louder, he said, "we should probably wait until I improve. I'd rather not hobble on a cast everywhere. Can I, um, have your number so I can call you?"

Nico smiled. "I would give it to you, if I had a phone."

Will's eyebrows scrunched together in confusion. "What? You don't have a phone?"

"I've never needed one," he said. He eyed the jacket laid over Will's legs thoughtfully. "How long do you think you'll be like this?"

"Six to eight weeks," Will said automatically. "That's the average time it takes for broken bones to mend. After a month or so, I'll be in a brace instead of a cast. Not that either will be fun to walk in."

Nico tilted his head. "That's a long wait," he mused.

Will grimaced.

The man laughed softly at Will's expression. "Don't give me that look, Will. I'm still happy to accept. It just may be hard for _you_ to remember that we'll be getting coffee in two months."

"Yeah, you're right." Will thought about it. "Well, not to sound like an idiot, you _could_ come and have coffee at my place. I'm sure Clare would be happy enough to see you, as well. I don't know how Ghosty would fair, though. He's become a little more territorial from what I've heard."

Nico's cheeks turned pink, though Will had no idea _why_. He glanced over his shoulder at the door. "Well, if it's that much of an issue, can't you let him out for a little while?" Nico murmured. "Your daughter told me that you found him wild in the woods. Maybe he could find something to do while I'm over."

"That's a good idea," Will admitted. "I don't know how Clare would feel about it, though. She usually wants _everyone_ to see him." Will laughed. "It's sadly becoming more and more endearing, even though I know that he needs to be sent back out into the wild soon. Before any of us gets too attached."

Nico was silent.

Will glanced over at the door himself, then at the clock. Nico had been in the room for way too long, but Will was relieved that Kayla hadn't come by to collect him yet. "What is today?" he asked suddenly.

Nico blinked. "Tuesday."

"Well, if you're willing to come over, then how does next Saturday sound?"

The man chuckled. "Sure, that sounds great. Your daughter will be home, right? Maybe I can get her to show me that photo album she was itching to show me before. She told me it had plenty of funny pictures of you growing up in it."

Will's cheeks flared with heat. "Um, no, that's okay…you don't have to go through that kind of trouble…"

"Nonsense," Nico said. He was grinning and obviously making fun of the other man. "It's no trouble at all."

Before Will could say anything to change Nico's mind about the photo album—he knew which one Clara was talking about, and he _did not_ want someone, especially not an _attractive_ someone, to look through it—a series of knocks drew their attention to the door.

Kayla poked her head in. "Didn't I say a few minutes?" she griped. Her voice was annoyed, but her expression was anything but. "I'll get in trouble if you're in here any longer."

"Forgive me, ma'am," Nico said. "I was just leaving. Might I say goodbye?"

Kayla sighed and rolled her eyes. "Sure, but don't let me walk into you two getting at it when I come back. I'm heading off to check on supplies."

Will's cheeks were still burning. "You don't have to worry about that," he muttered.

Kayla just winked and left the room.

Nico chuckled. "Interesting woman. Is she a friend of yours?"

"A cousin," Will said. "But she's more like a sister to me. Oh _god_ , I'm going to have to explain all of this to her and I have no clue how to start."

Nico smirked. "I'm sorry for making your life so miserable."

He didn't sound very sorry.

Will groaned. "Just leave me to suffer in peace."

"I will," he promised. "But know this: I don't regret anything I had to say to see you. I'm glad you're awake, Will. Plus, this could prove healthy for you."

"What do you mean?"

Nico walked closer to the bed. "The staff was surprised about what I told them, but they were not for very long. To me, they seemed relieved. You can cut off this tie I forged for us, but it has shown them that you are not unwilling to begin again. That you can move on from what happened before."

Will's face froze.

Nico continued softly, reaching over to brush away Will's bangs from his forehead. "I understand you have suffered for a long time, Will. Your daughter and everyone here made me very aware of that fact. But it _is_ okay to move on. You don't need to hold on to the past. So, even if it was just a lie, let this be a chance for you to change."

Nico leaned down kissed the uninjured skin above his eyebrow.

 _"Guarire in fretta,_ Will," he murmured. _"Ci vediamo presto."_

And then he was gone.


	7. Chapter 6: Starlight

**You know what's odd? I had this story in my head since I started Gwillym—no, since I finished the Blood of Olympus. What was that, last January or late 2014? I waited a really long time to start writing this…**

 **~ΨΩΨ~**

 ** _Chapter 6:_** **Starlight**

"You say he's coming over today?" Clara said, bouncing on the sofa in the living room. She looked a little _too_ excited about the idea, and was beaming at her father who was sitting next to her. Ghosty grumbled at the girl's happy squeal, but otherwise seemed to be indifferent about her actions from his place on the rug next to Will's feet.

Will sighed from his side of the sofa. He didn't have the heart to scold Clara for bouncing on the couch—even though it was making his leg throb with pain. "Yes, Clare. He'll be coming by soon."

"How soon?" Clara demanded.

"Soon," Will said.

Clara stopped bouncing and sat properly in her seat. She pouted at him. "But _Daddy_ ," she said in a whining voice. " _How_ soon?"

Will couldn't help the smile that crossed his face. "Soon," he repeated.

Clara huffed irritably.

Ghosty, tired of all of the noise, sat up and yawned. His midnight-colored fur was beautiful and glossy from all of the brushing Clara had given him, though Ghosty never stopped halfheartedly trying to stop her. He sat his chin on Will's uninjured knee and blinked up at them.

Will reached over and brushed a finger over the wolf's forehead. Ghosty's eyes closed. "Sorry, Ghosty. We're ruining your evening nap, aren't we?"

Ghosty huffed, closing his teeth gently over Will's knee.

"I'll take that as a yes." Will chuckled.

The wolf didn't answer. He stood, stretched, and headed off in the direction of the backyard.

"I guess he wants to sleep outside, we're so loud," Will said. "Clara, would you mind helping him open the door?"

Clara jumped up. "Sure, Daddy!"

She dashed after the wolf.

Will smiled and picked up the book that he had set by his side, going to a random page and skimming over the words with his eyes. It was a medical book, one that Will had carried when he was still in college. But his mind wasn't focused on the time-worn book. In truth, he had lied to Clara—he had no clue when the man would be arriving. The subject had been something they had forgotten to discuss before Nico decided to say goodbye.

The man shook his head. _No_. He wouldn't start thinking about _that_ again. At least, not until he could ask Nico about it if they were ever alone…

Will sighed, closing the book. He hadn't been feeling well after that day. It wasn't his broken bones that kept him down. He'd always been able to suppress pain well without the help of medication. But he was always only halfway aware of the things happening around him. The other half, a chaotic mess of emotions and confusion.

How much did Nico know about Will? The things he had spoken about, everything about being able to move on with his life… Clara couldn't have told Nico about all of that, could she? Will knew that she had the mind to tell the _wolf_ about it—but Nico? What about Kayla? The rest of the hospital staff? With Nico's wild lie about being Will's boyfriend, it would be no surprise if they told him a few things, but Will couldn't be sure. His best bet was to just ask Nico, but…

Did he even want to?

Will ran his fingers down the rough edges of the book in his lap. He shouldn't be thinking so much into things—he'd only start making assumptions. Plus, his head was starting to hurt, and he _really_ didn't want to take any medication before Nico showed up. He didn't want to suffer from illusions like last time.

Will's forehead tingled at the thought, right over the spot where Nico had kissed him.

A delighted squeal drew Will's attention towards the hallway where Clara had disappeared. " _Nico_!" her voice shouted, and warm laughter followed. Familiar laughter.

Will sat up straighter, book forgotten in his lap. _He's here._

The seconds ticked in time with Will's heartbeat as he waited for them to come to him. Suddenly, he was worried. He knew he still looked pretty well battered up with his colorful patchwork of bruises and his lump of a left leg propped up on a cushion to improve blood flow. He was healing well enough, but he was nowhere near back to how he was before.

Astonished by his own train of thought, Will glared down at the book in his hands. Why the fuck was he worried about how he looked? He was far worse a week ago, and Nico hadn't _once_ brought it up! Besides, Will shouldn't be so concerned about looking good for the other man—he had his job to worry about, after all. Nico might have made a stupid lie to make sure he got to see Will when he woke up, but—

"Care to share with the class?"

Will jumped. "What?"

Nico himself stood in front of him, one hand on his hip and the other holding Clara's. Will's daughter had an expression on that told Will that she had dragged Nico down the hall as fast as she could, and she was currently bouncing on the balls of her feet with excitement.

Will blushed. "Um, sorry. My mind wandered, I guess."

Raising his eyebrows, Nico tilted his head in a very dog-like way. "Obviously."

Clara was too excited to stay silent for very long. "Daddy, Daddy! Can I go to Mister Herald the cook and tell him that Nico's here? Can I please?"

Will didn't feel ready to be left alone with Nico so soon, but he couldn't deny his daughter when she looked so happy. "Sure, sweetheart." She was down the hall in half a heartbeat. "Clara!" Will shouted after her. "Don't be running in the halls! Slow down!"

In the distance Clara's voice floated back. "I'll be fine, Daddy!"

Will sighed at the same time Nico laughed.

"Energetic, isn't she?" Nico mused.

"Yeah," Will hummed. "What I wouldn't give to be like that again."

"I'd agree with you, but it would make me feel old," Nico said, smiling easily down at the other man. Will's heart picked up at the sight. "May I?" he asked, gesturing to the spot on the sofa beside Will.

Will nodded.

Nico sat. His eyes trailed down Will to the book in his lap. When he saw the faded title, his smile widened a touch, but he didn't bring up the subject. Instead, he said: "You're looking much better now. How have you been feeling?"

Will shrugged and immediately regretted it. "I've been better," he gasped.

Nico reached over and gently prodded at Will's ribs. He knew which ones had been broken, and did not put much pressure on them. It seemed he was just reassuring himself that they hadn't somehow broken themselves again. "At least it's not as bad as before," he said, eyes downcast.

"That's true," Will muttered.

Nico retrieved his hand and laid it over the lip of the couch behind him. In the silence, Will finally allowed himself a moment to examine the other man. He was wearing a skeleton-patterned t-shirt over a white long-sleeved shirt tucked into the belt of his ripped black jeans. Around his neck was his leather cord necklace, and his hair was tied back again in a loose ponytail. The clothes were almost identical to the ones he had been wearing a week ago, except he didn't have his leather jacket with him. Fenwick had probably hung it up next to the door.

Will chewed his lip as he gazed over Nico. "You look well," he mumbled when he noticed Nico watching him intently. His cheeks still felt warm. "How have you been this week?"

Nico smirked, a knowing look crossing his face. "Pretty good, actually. Now that I don't have to worry about you dying. Speaking of which, have you talked to your friends in the hospital lately? I'm quite curious how you might have explained our little predicament."

Will's blush reached his ear tips. "N-No, I haven't talked to them yet."

Nico looked disappointed. "Is that right."

Will forced himself to ignore the almost-pout that was forming on the man's mouth. Nico didn't even seem like the type of person to pout. "I haven't been to the hospital since I was discharged. I've been staying here, trying to recover."

"Really? I'm shocked. I thought you would have been crawling back the moment you started getting behind in your work." And Nico really did look surprised. He gave Will an odd look, one that made Will fight the urge to shift away. "Are you sure you're Will Solace?" Nico poked him. "You're not a ghost. Are you sick?"

Frowning, Will offered Nico the best glare he could muster.

Nico just grinned and turned to the door.

Will turned confused up until footsteps came dashing to them, carrying Clara into the room. Her blonde hair was flying everywhere, and a wide grin plastered on her face. "I have told Mister Herald!" she announced, proud. She skipped over to the two men and climbed onto the sofa with them, squishing between them.

Nico laughed. "And how did that go, _caro_?"

Clara puffed out her chest and turned her grin to Nico. "He says hello and that he's getting dinner started right now!"

"It's only five!" Nico exclaimed. He glanced over Clara's head at Will. "Isn't it a bit early for dinner?"

"Nonsense," Will said. "Besides, we weren't sure how long you'd be able to stay. It'll take a while before the food is ready, either way. About an hour."

"Oh." Nico relaxed. "Well, you didn't have to go through that sort of trouble for me." Nico laughed suddenly. "You don't have to impress me with all of these luxuries just because I'm in your home, Will. I'm fine just having coffee. That's what you said we'd be having, anyway."

"At five in the evening?" Will wondered.

Nico shrugged. He placed his hand on top of Clara's head, stilling her before she could start bouncing on the cushions. "Why not?"

"I like coffee!" Clara piped in helpfully.

Will looked down at her. "Now where would _you_ be getting coffee, Clare?"

Clara raised her hand. "Nico gave me some at the hospital!"

Nico bit his lip to hold back laughter at the horrified look on Will's face. "Now, _Clarina_ , you just had a little sip! That most certainly isn't enough to say you like it."

"But you wouldn't let me have any more!" Clara pouted.

"Rightfully so," Nico told her gently. He poked her shoulder. "You're already a great buzz of energy, _caro_. You may start hopping off of the walls if you were to have a whole cup of coffee."

Will stared at Nico over Clara's head. He couldn't tell whether to be angry or amused. When Nico met his gaze, he asked with his eyes: _You gave my daughter_ coffee _?_

Nico offered a tiny smile before he returned his attention to Will's daughter.

"Cool!" Clara exclaimed. She started bouncing where she sat despite Nico's hand on her head, holding her down. "Will I be able to walk on walls? Will it give me super powers? I'd like to be able to fly if it did! That'd be _so awesome_!"

Nico rolled his eyes at her, but the look was affectionate. He seemed to know how to deal with her antics as though he had known her for years, and pressed the heel of his hand into her scalp as gently as possible. "Sit still, _caro_ ," he scolded. "You'll hurt your father if you keep bouncing around like that. You're sitting beside his bad leg."

Clara glanced down at Will's cast. Immediately, her bouncing ceased. She looked up at her father with unmasked shame and guilt. "Sorry, Daddy."

Will blinked, surprised. "It's fine, Clare. You didn't hurt me."

Nico chuckled. " _Babbo_ is such a strong and determined man, isn't he, _caro_?"

Clara brightened. "Yep!" she said, nodding. "He's strong and handsome and he's the best daddy in the world!" Clara then turned to Will and hugged his arm.

Will blushed again. "Please, let's be modest here…" he muttered too softly to be heard.

Nico's smile widened as though he _had_ actually heard. "How about this," he began, looking down at Clara. "Why don't you go and find that album you told me about before—the one you said had those funny pictures in it—and I'll sit here and keep _babbo_ company."

Nico raised his eyebrows at Clara's answering frown. "Daddy hid the book," Clara muttered.

The man smirked and looked at Will, who was doing his best to focus on the book in his hands. "Is that so? Have you any idea where he could have hidden it?"

Clara shook her head.

"Have you checked his room?"

Will's head snapped up. He shot a glare at the man, but the damage was already done.

"To the bedroom!" his daughter declared, dashing off before Will could stop her.

"Dear fucking god," Will huffed when Clara disappeared around the corner. "You just _had_ to mention the album, didn't you?"

Nico smiled. "It'll take her a while to find it, won't it? I figured it would make for a perfect opportunity to talk. You seem like you've been bubbling with questions ever since I came in."

Will stilled, staring at the other man. "What do you mean?"

Rolling his eyes, Nico scooted closer to Will. He looked too calm about invading Will's personal space, and Will did his best to seem as though the act wasn't affecting him. "I wasn't wrong, was I?" Nico asked, his voice a mere whisper.

Will swallowed. "I—well, yes, I have questions, but—"

"But?"

"Why _now_?"

In an instant, Nico's face became mischievous. "Were you hoping for something a little more romantic?" Nico teased. "I could do that. I heard there was going to be a gorgeous display of shooting stars tonight. We could put Clara to bed later and go stargazing."

Will choked on his own words.

Nico didn't let Will find his voice. He leaned closer. "Tell me something, Will," he said, breath fanning the man's face. "What confuses you about this situation? Don't you want to know why I'm acting like this?"

"Uh, kinda?" Will squeaked, leaning away.

Nico nodded and gave Will space. Then he abruptly jabbed him in the shoulder with a finger, making Will squawk in surprise and pain.

"What in Hades, dude? That _hurt_."

"I know," Nico said smugly. "Listen, Will—"

Will cut him off, bristling. "Are you trying to bruise me up again or something? Seriously, I've already been bashed up as it is—"

"Will."

Once Will shut up, Nico exhaled sharply.

"Forgive me for this brash attitude, but I was _trying_ to make a point." Nico shot Will a look that kept the doctor's mouth sealed shut obediently. "If there was anything I learned while waiting for you to wake up in the hospital—and no, this isn't about your coworkers, so you can go ahead and close your mouth, Solace—is something about Clara."

Will's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

Nico's voice softened to a murmur. "She's _lonely_ , Will. So very lonely. No—don't speak. Let me finish." He took a deep breath. "To be truthful, I didn't tell her about the lie I told. That you and I were a couple. She actually found out when some of your coworkers came by to congratulate us. You should have _seen_ her, Will. Her face. She looked _so_ happy."

Will couldn't breathe. "What are you…?"

"Hush," he said in a scolding tone. But his eyes held no anger. "What I'm trying to tell you, Will, is that you _need_ to let someone into your life. A friend, a lover, anyone. Clara is feeling deprived. She not only lost her mother, but she has a father who can't be home until late at night and leaves early in the morning for work. Put yourself in her shoes, _idiota_. Wouldn't you feel lonely, too?"

"But she isn't alone," Will said, puzzled. "She has Judith and Fenwick and Ghosty—"

"But for _how long_?" Nico asked. His voice was still barely over a whisper. "A year or two, maybe, for the housekeepers. But they'll move on eventually. The wolf will leave in a fraction of that time. After that, who does she have? A father who's never home."

Will fell silent.

Nico continued after a few moments had passed. "I realize you may not feel ready to accept anyone so soon after Clara's mother," Nico told him. His eyes were painstakingly gentle. Sympathizing. "But you need to keep this in mind. Clara's a child. This is her chance to grow up happy, with a loving family. But you can't provide that the way you're working yourself right now. Just," Nico sighed, "you can ignore this entire speech, but remember this: Clara may grow up happy enough with housekeepers and a temporary wolf to keep her company, but what about you?"

"Even if I could somehow ease up my schedule, where in hell would I even look for someone who liked me?" Will snapped. His voice was almost silent, but Nico heard him with ease.

"Look around," Nico whispered back. His mouth curled into a smile. "There are more people out there who would love you and your daughter than you realize. It's just up to you to see that and take a stand."

Will sighed unsteadily and looked away. "Why are you doing this for me?"

Nico rested his arm around Will's shoulders. "Because you need a little prodding, is all," he murmured into the man's ear. "And if I don't do it, who will?"

Will closed his eyes and opened them again. Before he could thank the man, Clara loped into the room with a triumphant cry, holding the photo album in her outstretched hands. She didn't seem to notice Will's haunted expression, crawling up between the two men (Nico had shifted over to make room for her, but his arm was still partially around Will's shoulders) and pushing the album into Nico's hands.

Nico laughed, the sound dripping with warmth, and took the book with a word of thanks.

Will caught Nico's eyes over Clara's head as they opened to the first page.

Will's heart felt like it was filled with lead, but he forced a tiny smile to his face. _Thank you_ , he mouthed, and he meant it.

 _Thank you._

 **~ΨΩΨ~**

 **I'd like you all to know that the second place winners of the Solangelo AUs (one for Fanfiction and one for AO3), the Angel AU and the Elemental AU, are being outlined currently. If there's anything you'd like to see in either story, be sure to let me know! (Especially for the Elemental AU, please. That one's proving to be pretty difficult for some reason.)**


	8. Chapter 7: Firelight

**_Chapter 7:_** **Firelight**

Nico never did get to take Will out to see the meteor shower that night. In fact, he had declared he needed to head on home as soon as they were finished with dinner and flipped through the final few pages of the photo album. (Will still felt mortified about the whole ordeal, but he did his best to just sit still and take the giggles that came from his daughter and Nico with a straight face.)

Clara was immediately dismayed at Nico's words and begged him to stay for a little while longer. It was hardly seven, after all! But Nico stayed firm with his decision as he made his way to the door, gently telling her that Will needed rest so he could recover swiftly, and that he couldn't rest with Nico around. Clara cried out in frustration as Nico accepted his leather jacket from Fenwick and opened the door to leave.

Clara grasped the Italian's hand a few steps out in the winter chill, stopping him.

Nico knelt before Clara and took her hands in his. His eyes were warm, soothing, but they did nothing to calm down Clara. "It'll be fine, _Clarina_ ," he assured her.

"You'll come back soon, right?" Clara demanded.

Nico's eyes flickered over to where will was leaning heavily against the doorframe, crutches set aside. He looked back at Clara. "I don't know if I can, _caro_ ," he said slowly. "I have no means of communication with you two, and I really must return home."

Clara's eyes filled with tears. She tugged him back, and he stumbled to his feet, closer to where Will was standing. "Daddy!" she called, fighting to keep her tears from spilling over. "Tell him he can come back!

"Of course he can come back," Will said to his daughter. He felt exasperated, but he did the best he could to keep the feeling masked. "But if he doesn't want to, Clare, then I can't stop him."

Clara sobbed and clutched onto the man's ripped jeans. "But you have to come back!" she said through her tears. "You have to!"

Nico ran his hand down the girl's hair. " _Clarina_ , darling. I know you're lonely." Those words struck Will like a blow. He was brought back to their earlier conversation. _Clara is lonely, Will_. "But I can't stay forever, dear. I never could. It's up to you two to figure out where to go from here."

Clara shivered from the cold, sniffled, and nodded against the man's jacket. "I know, but…"

"Do you have someone to get back to, Nico?" Will asked wearily.

Nico turned to Will. "I do, yes. My son."

Clara looked up. "You could bring him over next time! We could play together!" she suggested, brightening a little.

When Nico shook his head, Will's daughter looked heartbroken. "He lives far away from here, _caro._ I haven't been able to see him in a very long time, what with the business I dealt with here and staying to visit the two of you. He's certain to be worrying right about now."

Will looked at Clara and, for an instant, felt the pain that she was dealing with. Nico had been right—she _was_ lonely. Because she had a father who was rarely home and had no other parent to speak of. That thought raced through the man, and as the gears turned in his head, he slowly gained resolve. He didn't want Clara to feel lonely.

"Nico," he said.

The man looked up. The expression that was on Will's face made Nico drop his head and sigh. "Even if you wanted me back," he said as though reading the man's mind. "I have no clue when I'd be able to return."

"But you'd still come back?" Will asked anyway.

Nico looked troubled. "I could. It would be difficult, but…"

"Then come back," Will said. He nodded at Clara. "We had a lot of fun today. I doubt we would complain if you were to drop by again. Even if it were unexpected."

Nico followed Will's gaze to Clara, who was looking up at him hopefully.

Nico sighed again. "It seems that my words of motivation have backfired, haven't they? Alright. I'll do what I can."

Clara squealed with joy and gripped Nico tighter. "Thank you! Thank you!"

Nico chuckled and patted her on the head. "Go on back to your father, _caro_. It's cold out here. Let's not have you catch something."

He kissed the top of her head and ushered her back inside just as snow began to drift from the clouds.

He walked closer to where Will was standing. His gaze was still troubled, but there was now a gleam of amusement in his eyes as well. "You're not trying to do what I think you are, are you?" he murmured too softly for Clara to hear. She was standing just behind Will, standing on her tiptoes so she could try to catch what they were saying. Without much luck, Will guessed by her disappointed huff.

"I don't know what you mean," Will whispered back, but his smile gave him away. "I just don't want Clara to feel lonely, is all."

Nico's gaze softened. "And she won't. Not for now, that is. Take care of her, Will. She's too precious for you to forget about her."

"I know. I wasn't planning on forgetting her," Will assured him. "But don't _you_ forget her either, you hear?"

Nico chuckled softly. "I'll see you both again, _idiota_. Just remember what I told you."

Nico held Will's gaze for a long moment. And then Will killed the suspense by asking, "Are you going to kiss me or something?"

The black haired man burst out in laughter that echoed against the howl of the growing wind. "You already got one, remember?" he teased. "You're not really going to ask me for another one. Are you?"

Will flushed. He had figured the kiss was a hallucination from the morphine in his system. Apparently not.

Nico smiled at the flustered look Will had on. "Don't worry about it," he murmured. He leaned up and pressed his mouth to Will's cheek. "And thank you, Will," he whispered in the man's ear.

Nico di Angelo turned away and wandered into the snow.

 **~ΨΩΨ~**

It was a week later when Ghosty returned home.

Clara had been worried sick and was hardly able to sleep at night, but she had begged her father to not ask about his whereabouts. Or to post reward signs in town. He would come back in his own time, she reasoned. They just had to be patient and wait for him.

Will wasn't certain that she would be right. The wolf had been acting antsy ever since Will had returned from the hospital. It was only a matter of time that he would go to wherever he came from.

In a way, Will was relieved. He knew that the wolf had to go back into the wild soon anyway—his wounds had faded nicely with hardly a scar to remind them of what happened. This way, he told himself, he didn't have to argue with Clara about when the wolf would have to leave. He had promised to keep the wolf, but only until his wounds had healed. Well, they were healed. And now the wolf was gone.

So when the week ended and Will was sitting on the sofa in front of a crackling fireplace warming the room, he was not expecting for Clara to hop into the room and exclaim " _He's back_ , Daddy!"

Not a heartbeat later, Ghosty lumbered in behind her looking a tad miffed at her loud voice. He grumbled, bumped his nose against her leg and trotted into the room.

Will sat up, setting aside his book. All he had been able to do the weeks of recovery was read, and it was driving him crazy. "He's _back_?"

Ghosty looked up at Will, considering him. Then he jumped onto the sofa beside the man and curled up next to him, pressing his flank against Will's leg. The wolf smelled of pine needles and wet dog, which was an odd combination to Will but not all unpleasant.

Clara petted Ghosty's fur, earning a soft grunt from the wolf. "Judith found him scratching at the door when she was about to take out the trash!" she said, looking far too excited at the prospect. But then again, she had been pacing around aimlessly earlier, unable to play with the wolf to get rid of some of her excess energy. To her, this would be like a friend coming back over to spend the night.

Will frowned down at the wolf. _Well,_ _so much for not having to worry about you any longer_ , he thought. Though he wouldn't admit it, he was also relieved. At least the weird cave men people hadn't gotten him or something. He was safe.

"He looks tired," Clara said, stroking the fur along his neck. "Did you run a long way?"

Ghosty sighed. He seemed to be struggling to keep his head up and his eyes open.

Will touched the wolf's head. "What time is it, Clare?" he asked as the wolf leaned into the touch, eyes fluttering closed.

"Almost nine," Clara answered.

"Well, no wonder he's tired," Will said, shocking. "And shouldn't you be getting ready for bed, Clare?"

"But—But Ghosty!"

"He'll be here when you wake up."

Clara pouted and curled her fingers in Ghosty's fur. "I have a couple friends over, though…" she mumbled. "You always let me stay up late when I have friends over." She seemed to come up with an idea. "I know! Why don't I move the sleepover in here? So we can play and I can be near Ghosty?"

"Won't that disturb him?" Will asked. "He looks like he really needs sleep. You playing with your friends and being loud won't do him any good."

"We'll be quiet, I promise!" She clasped her hands together and gave her father a pleading look. "If we get really loud then I'll take them back to my room, I swear! I've always wanted to show them Ghosty! Could I please?"

Will sighed. "Only if you're _really_ quiet," he allowed.

Clara squealed before clamping her hands over her mouth and casting a worried glance down at the wolf. "Thank you, Daddy," she whispered, and she ran off.

"What am I going to do with her?"

Ghosty seemed to laugh. His head was still held up, watching her leave, but his eyelids were almost completely closed by then. It was pretty warm in the room in the orange-red glow from the fireplace, and he seemed to grow drowsy the warmer he became.

Will reached over and scratched the wolf behind the ears where he liked it. "I'm surprised you decided to come back," he murmured. "I figured you'd get sick of us, no matter how territorial you've become over Clare."

The wolf nudged Will with his head and huffed.

The tumbling of feet raced down the hall, and Clara came with two of her school friends in tow. They were two girls even Will remembered meeting once before, though he couldn't recall their names off the top of his head.

"It's a _wolf_ ," the brunette of the trio said, thankfully keeping her voice low. She crept up to the sofa where Will and Ghosty were, eyes focused on the wolf. "Can I—Can I pet him?" she asked weakly.

"Of course you can," Will said, still scratching the wolf behind the ears. "Try right here, just below his ears. He loves it."

The girl—Jennie, Will recalled—did as Will suggested. Ghosty closed his eyes.

"I wanna pet him next!" the other girl asked in a volume that was just over a whisper, bouncing on the balls of her feet just like Clara did every time she got excited.

Jennie stuck out her tongue at her. "Nuh-uh! I was here first!"

"But Jen _nie_ ," she griped.

Ghosty groaned and leaned into Will's hand, pulling himself away from the girl that was petting him. Will took that moment to speak up. "Let's not fight over him, girls," Will scolded them. "He's very tired and wants to sleep. You can come and pet him a little, but don't overdo it, alright girls?"

"Yes sir," they muttered.

The little blonde who hadn't pet Ghosty yet stepped up, feeling the wolf's neck fur. "He's not very soft," she whispered, disappointed. She dropped her hand almost immediately. "My cat's fur is really soft. So is my dog's. Why is his so rough?"

Will frowned. He rubbed the back of his fingers against Ghosty's fur, and couldn't find what she was complaining about. His fur was rough? It felt pretty soft to him. "I don't know why," Will answered truthfully. "Perhaps because he was raised in the wild?"

The girl seemed to not hear him, turning away from them and skipping to Clara and Jennie. They were setting up some kind of board game that Will couldn't recognize. It looked sort of like Candy Land.

Once they were situated in the middle of the carpet in front of the fireplace, Ghosty's tensed form relaxed. He leaned more into Will's hand as he ran it down the wolf's neck fur. It was a habit that Will had picked up from Clara. As he sat on his bed or the sofa and the wolf curled up beside him, his hand seemed to form a mind of its own. Petting once, twice, thrice…until either Will or the wolf would wind up asleep next to the other, snoring in soft little puffs.

It looked like it would be a close call to who fell asleep first that time. Even if the wolf had been exhausted before, the warmth of the fire and the wolf fur against Will's side was starting to make the man sleepy as well.

Will watched the girls as Jennie won the first round, boasted for a few seconds before clearing the board for another game. Ghosty exhaled and laid his head on Will's broken leg, adjusting himself so he was laying in a more comfortable position.

"About ready to sleep, are you?" Will whispered to the wolf despite himself.

Ghosty grunted as the man moved his hand to the top of the wolf's head. The wolf yawned and adjusted himself again, pressing closer to Will's side.

"I'll take that as a yes," the man said with a light chuckle.

The wolf made no other sound.

Will gently brushed his fingers over the wolf's forehead, watching the crackling fire die as the girls grew tired of their games and laid out their sleeping bags to sleep on the middle of the floor.

The whole situation Will was in felt surreal. He had never stayed at home long enough for the feeling of warmth to settle in him, and the emotion felt almost foreign to him. It reminded him of what happened before Katherine…

Will shook his head and looked down at the wolf snoring on his leg. The warmth that came from him was different from Katherine's, just as the warmth that came from Nico—a man Will barely knew—was. And Clara. And Kayla. What happened with her…Will really did need to take Nico's advice and move on from it. He wasn't going to be able to bring her back just by willing it to happen.

Perhaps finding someone was a good idea after all.

Will gazed down at the wolf he was petting. Squinting was more like it. There was a tiny scar over Ghosty's eye that was bothering the man, tugging at his memories. Why was a scar so important that—

 _Wait_. The scar was over his right eye. Just like Nico's. If Will tilted his head, he might even say that the scar was shaped the exact same, too. But that would be stupid, wouldn't it? Why would Nico and the wolf share identical scars?

Will didn't get a chance to think about it. A soft knock on the living room door made him look up from the sleeping wolf.

"What is it, Fenwick?" Will whispered, trying not to wake up the wolf or the girls.

Fenwick fidgeted and dabbed his temple with his handkerchief. "Forgive me, Mr. Solace, but… You've received an urgent phone call. Might I transfer it to your cellphone?"

"Who called?" Will wondered. "It's a bit late for it to be about work."

Fenwick fidgeted again. "Erm, it was Mrs. Stoll calling, Mr. Solace."

Will's blood ran cold.

"Mr. Solace?" Fenwick whispered.

As gently as he could, Will nudged Ghosty's head off of his leg and reached for his crutches. The wolf grunted and raised his head at being shifted, shooting the man a groggy glare.

"Sorry bud," Will murmured, patting Ghosty on his strangely familiar scar. "Stay here with Clare and the girls, okay? I'll be right back."

He turned and quietly made his way over to Fenwick, his gait awkward with the crutches. The butler handed Will the landline phone when they reached the dining room, out of earshot from everyone, and walked out to give Will some much needed privacy.

A warm flank pressed against his calf, and Will glanced down and saw that the wolf had followed him. Unable to scold Ghosty in his current state, Will sat down at the table with the wolf by his side and held the phone to his ear. He was regretting not telling Fenwick to just claim that Will was asleep. He swallowed. "Hello?"

 _"Ah, William. I thought you'd never answer. It's been a while, hasn't it?"_

It was the voice he'd been expecting, but his gut still twisted painfully at the sound of it. It was only the solid press of the wolf's flank against his leg that kept him grounded. Kept him from saying things he would regret later. Kept him from begging, pleading, to start over.

He opened his mouth and spoke only one word, one name:

"Katherine."


	9. Chapter 8: Shade

**_Chapter 8:_** **Shade**

Clara seemed overly fidgety as she and Judith laid down a quilt over the cold ground. She wiped her hands on her jeans when she completed the task, and thanked Judith as the housemaid smiled and bid her farewell. The woman paused next to Will on her way to the mansion, touched his arm with a soothing pressure, and left to get the food for the impromptu picnic.

"It's been so long," Clara said to her father, her voice almost incoherent. She walked over to where he sat in the grass and wrapped her arms around his neck him. "Will she even like me, Daddy? Does she even love me anymore?"

"Of course she does," Will assured her.

Clara blinked, eyes watery. "Then why did she leave, Daddy?"

Will opened his mouth to answer, and he faltered. Shut his mouth. Looked away. What he wanted to say was _I don't know, honey_. But he _did_ know. And he knew that she would only hate him for telling her why Katherine had really left them.

Left _him_.

Clara fell into silence with her father, staring at the frost-ridden ground with misty eyes. It was honestly too cold for a picnic, but Katherine had insisted. Her boys needed some fresh air while they talked, she said. It would do them all some good.

Will didn't like the cold. It bit at his cheeks and made him shiver against the wind. It made him yearn for the night before, with the fireplace crackling and a sleeping wolf pressed against his leg.

Ghosty had disappeared again before Clara's friends had left. Clara was worried that he might not come back, and even Will couldn't help but miss him, if only for the fact he was solid and warm and _there_.

Plus, there was the whole ordeal with Nico di Angelo.

Though Will was becoming sadly infatuated with the man, he wanted to start out slow. Not to push things. Perhaps he could become friends with the man first? After about a year of that, then _maybe_ it could be more. What were the chances, though? Nico was in a whole other league from him—so strong and full of mysterious determination that Will had no chance of matching.

Maybe years ago, when things had been right with the world, he could have stood a chance. He was different back then—full of wit and charm that could calm even the angriest of people, and soothe that child mourning their brother or sister. With that kind of personality, he would have fit right into Nico's devilish attitude that was hidden under his worry and compassion. He would have been able to pick his way through Nico's layers, figure out what made him tic, and fall in love with him gradually, naturally. Not immediate. Not the stupid crush he suddenly had.

"I trust you're going to sit on the ground all day?" a voice made Will freeze. "Instead of the quilt you have out?"

Clara looked up. "Momma."

There was no excitement in her voice. Only nervousness. Worry.

Will grabbed his crutches and let Clara help him to his feet. He turned to the door. "Hello, Katherine. Travis. You're both looking well."

The Stoll couple walked into the yard, their two boys dashing out with a yapping greyhound on a leash and roughhousing near the edge of the woods. One was a year younger than Clara, one was a year older.

Travis, a handsome man with a mischievous glint in his eyes and a crooked smile that screamed _trouble_ , raised an eyebrow down at Will's leg. "We are, but _you_ sure aren't. What happened?"

Katherine turned to her husband. "I told you, dummy," she huffed affectionately. The sound made Will's stomach churn, but he kept his mouth clamped shut. "He was in a car accident a couple weeks ago. How's recovery going, William?"

Will counted to ten. "Fine," he said, voice level.

Katherine smiled tightly and nodded.

Travis whistled. "Trouble driving on the ice, bud? Did the car have to go to the shop?"

"I wasn't driving," Will snapped. He breathed deeply. How was he going to make it through this torture? "There was an accident on my way home that day, so I got out to help the victims. I got hit in the crossfire."

Travis nodded. "Cool, dude. So, where's the food? I'm starved."

"Food will be here shortly," Judith said from behind the Stolls, the maid standing in the doorway. Her arms were crossed and her back was slightly hunched: body language for _I hate this_.

"Cool," Travis said, plopping down on the quilt.

"Be polite, darling. Remember that we're guests here," Katherine said, sitting gracefully beside the man. She gestured to Will. "Don't be a stranger, William. Come sit with us. Clara, why don't you go and play with Danny and Matthew? I'm sure they'd adore the attention."

Clara shot her father a look as he eased himself down onto the quilt, his cast making him stick out one leg awkwardly. He didn't want her to do it, but he nodded anyway. "Go on, Clare," he murmured. "Let us grownups talk for a bit, okay?"

Clara nodded and ran off. Her eyes had lit up with understanding, but she was still upset. At least Will knew that she wouldn't be angry at him after everything died down.

 _Please let things die down soon,_ Will prayed.

Once she was out of earshot, Katherine met Will's gaze. "She looks well," she said, voice stiff.

So things weren't just awkward for him, then. "Healthy as can be," Will replied. "Your boys look well, as well. Will they be doing sports in the future?"

"They're already in prime condition," Travis said proudly. "I wasn't much of a sports man myself, but I can see them at least running track and leaving all of those other boys and girls in the dust. What about your girl, Will? Will she be doing any sports?"

Will couldn't believe he was actually having small talk with his ex-wife's husband. It was honestly a first. "I have no clue," Will answered honestly. "She doesn't seem to be too interested in sports, but she could change if she wanted. Whatever she does, though, I'll support her along the way."

"How sweet," Katherine said. "Sounds like you've changed a lot, then."

Will tensed. "I wouldn't say that."

Travis looked between the two of them like he was watching a soap opera. "How was he before, Katie?" he wondered, grinning.

Judith and Fenwick came holding trays of food and left quickly as though they sensed the thick atmosphere surrounding the trio on the quilt. Travis dived on the food at once, stuffing his face with a pleased moan.

"He was never home," Katherine answered once the housekeepers had left, to Will's dismay. "Always stuck up in his cubical in the hospital withering away as though there wasn't a world outside of it. So you say she doesn't like sports, William? What about games? Toys? What does she like?"

"Why would you want to know?" Will snapped.

Katherine's eyes flashed. "I _am_ her mother," she said slowly. "And her birthday is coming up in a few months. I wanted to give her something nice this year, rather than those old board games that she never thanked me for. I guess she hated them."

Will's memory flashed to the games Clara and her friends had been giggling over last night, and a hot flash of anger built up in him. He gritted his teeth and glanced to where his daughter and Travis' sons were playing tag. Clara looked like she wanted to go back inside and sleep, a feeling that was mutual with her father.

After he had regained his composure he told her, "She loved the board games."

"Did she?" Katherine raised an eyebrow. "Why didn't she ever call me, then?"

"Can't say that I know," Will muttered.

Katherine rolled her eyes and moved on. "What else would she want, then? A puppy, perhaps? I remember you were going to get her one before we ended. Maybe a kitten?"

Will exhaled. "She doesn't need a cat or a dog."

Travis frowned, his face covered in bread crumbs and sauce. He swallowed and went for another sandwich. "Will, let me be blunt with you. Every kid wants a pet. It's in their nature. See the kids with Rosy over there? Hell, I didn't want to get them a dog, but they _wouldn't shut up about it_. So now they have Rosy. End of story. And they don't bother us with begging anymore! It's glorious!"

"That's not what I meant, Travis," Will said, borderline growling. "We have our friend of the family, thank you very much. We don't need another."

Katherine looked surprised. "You got her a pet? Really?"

Will snorted. "Hell no, I didn't."

The couple looked at each other and looked at Will in unison, confusion pouring from them in waves. "Then what, William?" Katherine wondered.

Will opened his mouth and Clara's delighted squeal answered his call.

" _Ghosty_!"

Will glanced over at the wolf trotting out of the woods. "Well, he's as punctual as always," he said under his breath. Inside, he was relieved. They— _Clara_ didn't have to worry about the wolf running away so soon after he'd returned.

The couple's eyes were bulging out of their sockets. "The _fuck_ ," Travis breathed. "Is that a goddamned _wolf_?" He made to stand, realizing that said wolf was right next to the children. "Honey, you need to—"

"Chill," Will snapped. Suddenly famished, he reached over and grabbed a sandwich for himself. "You can sit down, Travis. That's just Ghosty."

Travis looked from Will to the wolf and back. "Is that—is that an _actual_ wolf? Like, full-blooded wild beast wolf?"

"Yes," Will said. He almost laughed at their comical looks of horror. "He's from a pack around here, probably. But he's been with us for a while now. He's fine."

As he spoke, Ghosty licked Clara's hand when she came to greet him, standing still so she could hug him around the neck. He had little tufts of white in his fur around the muzzle, which Clara picked off as she spoke to him. They were too far away for Will to hear what they were saying.

Ghosty seemed to nod, nudging Clara's arm with his nose. He gently extracted himself from her embrace and headed straight for Will and the aghast couple in front of him.

"You're late," Will said, laughter in his voice.

Ghosty huffed and plopped down next to Will, one foreleg pressed flush against the man's cast. He kept his head slightly turned to where the children were quickly forgetting their shock and returning to their games. To the boys, he was probably just another dog. Clara also seemed more willing to play with them now that Ghosty was in the area.

To the older Stolls, however, he seemed to be a ticking time bomb. They eyed him warily.

As a show of Ghosty's dolice behavor, Will reached over and plucked a tuft of white fur that Clara had missed off of the wolf. "I'm guessing you had a good hunt."

Ghosty licked his lips, keeping his eyes on the children.

Will chuckled and scratched him behind the ear. "I'm glad to hear it."

A beat passed. "You're talking to a wolf," Travis mentioned dumbly.

Will smiled. "I know."

Katherine stared at the wolf for a moment longer before shaking her head dismissively. "Whatever. He seems tame enough. He hasn't tried to attack Clara, has he?"

"Not once," Will said in stride. He moved his attention to grabbing another sandwich. "He's never had any of those sorts of troubles. He's a little territorial, but nothing bad."

Katherine nodded and seemed to decide that the wolf wasn't worth worrying about. "Anyway, moving on. Is there nothing you can think of for Clara? I don't want to accidentally send her something she won't like, William."

Ghosty sniffed at the sandwich in Will's hand and turned up his nose as Will contemplated Katherine's question. "Honestly, I'm not sure. Not that I haven't been home enough to tell you what sorts of things she likes, but because she's never asked me for anything in particular." _Besides to keep the wolf,_ he added as an afterthought.

Katherine looked disappointed. "Is that so. Well, I'd rather not ask her directly, but if I can't find anything from you…"

Will nibbled on the end of his sandwich, thinking. He glanced down at Ghosty. "I'm sorry, Katherine," Will muttered, and he meant it. He honestly couldn't think of anything to give Clara that didn't involve the wolf in some way. "I just don't know."

The wolf's dark eyes met Will's. Ghosty tilted his head.

Will exhaled and petted the wolf's back fur. It wasn't an area the wolf was too keen on letting people touch, but he allowed it for the moment. He seemed to sense Will's tension. "I'll call you if I hear anything that she'd like, Katherine."

"Thank you." Katherine's voice softened. "When will you be able to go back to work?"

"In a couple more weeks I'll head back," Will replied. "It'll take me a while to get back into the usual routine—and even more time to catch up on all of the stuff that I missed—but I'll manage."

Katherine nodded. It might have been a figment of Will's imagination, but he thought she seemed saddened by his words. "I wish you the best of luck with that, William."

"Thanks, Katherine."

Awkward silence built up between them.

Ghosty groaned at Will's side, pawing the quilt in an impatient movement. Rosy the greyhound had come over out of curiosity, her leash dragging along behind her as she edged closer to the reclining wolf. She was a pretty thing, grey and spotted with white splotches and the brightest green eyes Will had ever seen, but Ghosty didn't seem interested whatsoever. His ears even flattened when he noticed her, and he bared his teeth in warning when she stooped down to sniff at him.

Rosy whimpered, her tail tucking between her legs at the wolf's aggressive behavior. She trotted away sullenly, and only then did Ghosty relax again.

Katherine was frowning at the scene with a thoughtful expression etched into her brow, and Travis just laughed at the spectacle. "Just not your type, eh wolfy?" He laughed some more, like it was the funniest thing in the world.

Ghosty's ears were still flattened against his head. He seemed to press just a little bit closer to Will's side and grumbled deep in his throat.

Travis chuckled again. He snatched the last sandwich off of the plate and stood with a sharp huff. "Well, it's getting late. It's about time to get back home, isn't it Katie? It was nice seeing you again, Will. Even with you broken up like this."

Will stayed on the ground. "Of course, Travis. You take care."

Ghosty grunted indifferently, his head tilted towards the children still.

Katherine stood as well, dusting herself off. She hadn't even taken a bite out of the food. "Go on and get the boys, Travis. Before they ruin William's yard with their roughhousing. I'll stay here with William for just a moment longer."

A stone of dread dropped into Will's stomach.

Travis smiled. "Sure, Katie. I'll be right back."

And then they were alone.

Will, never one to take awkward silences well, cleared his throat and spoke up before he could lose his nerve. "You wanted to say something, I suppose?"

Katherine smiled, but it was only a weak attempt. She let it drop a moment later and kneeled in front of Will. "I wanted to say, Will… About your work—don't make your life solely on your career. Like you did with me. Clara deserves more than that, and you know it."

A flash of anger engulfed Will. "You say that when you could have easily won full custody over her. And you didn't."

Katherine gritted her teeth. "Only because I thought you might be able to change for her. I couldn't just leave you with nothing, even though you basically ignored the two of us for years."

Will flinched. "I didn't—"

"Don't try to argue, William. You _did_. You abandoned us to your work. And even though you meant well for the people you were helping, it was still no excuse to ignore your own family. But now, now you have a chance to change that for our girl. Don't mess it up. For her sake, don't mess it up."

Will was practically seething under his stoical mask. "I'll worry about _our girl_ ," he said, borderline spitting the words at his ex-wife. "So why don't you just worry about _your boy_."

Katherine went pale. She narrowed her eyes. "William Solace," she growled. "You will not—" She caught herself, cooling her expression. "I'll take care of my _boys_ , thank you very much. You, though. You need to work on more than I thought. Considering that I hear you haven't tried to start a relationship with anyone since I decided for a divorce. Perhaps I'll have to take up a case to recommend you for counselling."

Ghosty growled, breaking the two from their glaring contest. His ears were flat as a board, and his nose was scrunched up in a way that reminded Will of when Michael had come over to check up on the wolf's recovery. Like he was holding back from biting someone.

The woman stood and backed up a couple steps, looking down at Will. Though she seemed at ease with arguing with Will, the aggressive wolf at his side was more than she could apparently handle. "Take care of her, William," she said, glancing over at the wolf to make sure he stayed beside Will. "She deserves to be happy. Don't forget that."

"I'm fully aware," Will replied. He scratched Ghosty behind the ear, where he liked it. "Just don't go and mess up your happiness while you're counselling Clare's. Travis _is_ a good man for you, under all of his trickery and joking. Focus on that for now. I can handle things on this side. _We_ can, I mean."

Katherine nodded. "I'll be seeing you, William. Remember to call."

Will nodded back. "I will. Take care."

Clara returned to Will and Ghosty as the Stoll family made their leave. "I never even got to talk to her," his daughter muttered, sweaty and out of breath from playing with the boys.

 _Perhaps that's a good thing,_ Will thought. "Maybe next time, Clare."

The girl plopped down on the quilt next to Ghosty and hugged the wolf around the neck. "Were they here to check on you, Daddy?"

"Partly," Will answered.

"They could have at least said hi to me…" Clara mumbled, crestfallen. "Momma hardly even noticed me, Daddy. I thought you said she still loved me."

Ghosty touched his nose to the girl's cheek like a comforting kiss. He hummed.

Clara blinked away tears and buried her face in the wolf's fur as Will laid his hand on her shoulder. He couldn't find the words to speak, so he didn't try.

Katherine still loved their daughter, Will was certain of it. It was just _him_ that she didn't love—but she had come all that way to wish Clara happiness. To drill it into Will that the only way she _could_ find happiness was if he could find means to be a good father for her.

It was like Nico had said, now that Will thought about it. Will had to move on from his past to find happiness, and in doing that Clara too would be happy—even if Will couldn't be home every second of every day to spend time with her.

The two people had given the same advice, but it was also very different advice.

One wanted Clara to be happy.

The other wanted Clara _and_ Will to be happy. Together.

Will rubbed Clara's back, a smile coming to his lips. "We don't need her approval, do we?" he asked her suddenly.

The girl looked up from the wolf's fur, sniffling. "W-What?"

"We don't need her approval to be happy."

Whatever expression that was on the man's face made his daughter's eyes brighten. She giggled, curling her fingers in Ghosty's midnight colored fur. "Nope!"

Will's smile widened. "Exactly. Come on, let's go inside. It's getting a bit too chilly out here for my tastes."

Clara helped her father to his feet and the man propped a crutch under one arm, using the other to collect the sandwich plate on the quilt. Ghosty hopped up and followed Will off as his daughter shook out the blanket and threw it around her shoulders like an oversized cape, beaming up at her father with tears cutting through the grit on her face. She looked beat up and exhausted, but she was also looked proud. Of herself—of _Will_.

The wolf pressed his flank against Will's uninjured leg. His head and tail were high, also proud. He seemed just as pleased as Clara was.

Despite everything that was said that day, even Will seemed happier. Or at least contented. He turned to his daughter, took her hand with his free one, and smiled down at her.

"Let's go, then. It's about time to work on being happy."

 **~ΨΩΨ~**

 **A lot of you figured out the story behind Katherine before this chapter, which I'm thoroughly impressed about. Good job you guys!**

 **Please feel free to review!**


	10. Chapter 9: Dusk

**Thank you so much CrazyCookieChick for being there for me as I brooded endlessly over this chapter. I ended up making myself feel like a terrible writer and you walked through everything with me, patiently urging me onward even after I had given up hope on Ghosty.**

 **I also want to thank my reviewers. You guys and CCC are the only reason this chapter is here. Enjoy.**

 **~ΨΩΨ~**

 ** _Chapter 9:_** **Dusk**

Will finally figured out the amount of shit he was in weeks after the picnic.

His leg was healed up nicely, if a bit tender still, and he could walk freely without crutches to support himself. With his newly claimed freedom he returned to work, burying himself in paperwork that he had missed as he had been recovering.

Though he was glad to be back and he was enjoying himself again, he had been discussing with Kayla and the manager ways he could cut back his schedule so he could go home earlier. He wanted to become a good father for Clara, after all.

Kayla had grinned slyly at Will's remark, like she knew more than what Will was telling her. "Just Clara, huh?"

Will couldn't answer her. He had been trying too hard to hide his blush.

He couldn't find it in himself to deny that a tiny, _tiny_ part of why he was cutting back his schedule was because of Nico di Angelo. After all, the man had popped back into his life a couple times after he had returned to work, and Kayla—even though she had heard the truth about what happened—was convinced that they were a couple still.

Not that Nico had ever shaken her beliefs, either.

When he would come by, Nico would talk with Will during working hours until he inevitably got caught by someone other than Kayla. He would sneak into the shadows, wait things out, then he would pop out of nowhere to scare the living daylights out of Will and offer him coffee as compensation. His treat, the Italian told him. Perhaps even a late dinner, if any restaurants were still open.

Those days sent Will's heart into flutters whenever he thought about Nico. The man was undeniably handsome in a dark and mysterious sort of way, and he had an attractive personality to couple with it. Though he was shy under his confident persona, he had a healthy sense of humor and was patient when it came to explaining foreign concepts to Will. And those seemed to happen _a lot_.

It didn't help that Nico acted like he returned Will's feelings.

In times like that, Will's heart would seize into panic. What about Clara? Shouldn't she have a mother and a father, not two fathers? What would Katherine think? Shit—if things kept going and they actually _became a couple_ , then wouldn't Nico have to go to Clara's birthday party? With _Katherine there_?

Will would toss and turn in bed, unable to sleep, whenever those thoughts arose. But he was thinking too far into things, wasn't he? They weren't even a couple. They were hardly friends.

And then there was Katherine.

His ex-wife probably had good intentions, but he didn't appreciate her calling him _weekly_ to ask about Clara and her birthday and him and if he was having any luck finding someone. He was going through enough stress about the whole idea as it was—he didn't need someone else making it worse.

As the weeks ran on, Will's only source of comfort was Ghosty.

He had given up on the thought of never seeing the wolf again after the picnic. He always came back, no matter the stretch of time that he was gone, and he was always there with Will or Clara when he returned, curled up and snoring.

Will wasn't disappointed by that fact. He might have been months ago, granted, but he had grown affection for the beast that Clara had forced him to take in. He always seemed to know when Will or Clara was upset, and he would sit with them in turn and let them ramble to him about random things or just sit in silence with them as a calming, regal figure. If Will was talking to him in bed in the dark, he would sometime fantasize another human being laying there with him, letting him fume about his troubles while they let him talk, understanding leaking into their silence.

That more than anything helped calm him down faster. Which was why he was curled up in the middle of the living room floor, a weak fire crackling from the fireplace, and a sleepy wolf blinking down at him.

"She keeps demanding to know what to get Clara for her birthday!" Will growled, trying to keep his voice soft so his daughter wouldn't accidentally hear. "Fuck her; _I_ don't know what to get her for her birthday! The only thing she's ever asked me for is _you_!"

Ghosty yawned and settled down, probably expecting the rant to last for a couple hours as it usually did. Will was generally pissed whenever Katherine called him now—it was becoming excessive and he was sick of it. The wolf was probably annoyed under his indifferent expression. He'd heard the same rant every single week for almost a month.

"I mean, I get that she's trying to be nice—Clara _is_ her daughter, after all—but this is too much! If I knew what she wanted I'd call Katherine myself! I'm starting to get the feeling she doesn't trust me to call her. Is that it? Fuck her."

The cold tip of the wolf's nose kissed Will's cheek. Ghosty seemed to be laughing in that odd way he had: lips curled back slightly, ears pricked, and tail beating against the floor. He nudged Will in the forearm with a paw and snorted.

"Don't make fun of me," Will muttered. "I won't have it, I say! Katherine's being way too overbearing all of a sudden. Doesn't that concern you in the least bit? Doesn't it?"

Ghosty grunted and reached over again, scraping his claws gently over Will's arm.

Will frowned. "I have no idea what you're trying to say, you know. Fuck it, I'm talking to a wolf. Of course I can't understand…" His voice trailed off.

Ghosty sighed.

The wolf looked like he was about to stand when Fenwick knocked on the door and cut them off. Will rolled over immediately, and he sat up at the man's bloodless face. "Fenwick? What's the matter?"

Fenwick cleared his throat. His hands were shaking too much for him to hold his handkerchief. "A lady is asking for you at the door, Mister Solace."

"Who?" If it was Katherine, _dear god_ that woman had so much coming to her. Especially with Will so furious.

The man shook his head. "She would not say. Should I phone the police?"

Will's anger died and was replaced with confusion. Who would come to the door and refuse to give Fenwick their name, if they were looking for Will? It made no sense, but that didn't mean that Will wasn't the least bit curious.

"I'll go, Fenwick. If things get bad, I'll tell you, alright?"

Fenwick nodded, looking relieved. He waited by the door for Will to get up and follow him to the front door, his hands steady enough to grab his handkerchief and struggle to compose himself.

Will stooped down to give Ghosty one last scratch behind the ears. The poor boy seemed about ready to fall asleep at any moment. "I'll be back in a little bit, Ghosty. Don't wait for me."

The wolf grunted, laying his head down.

Will chuckled and, even though he was alarmed by the spectacle Fenwick had produced, walked down the hall behind the man with his head held high, confident. He was in control. Even if the woman had a weapon, he still had all of the power.

At least, that's what he told himself.

Fenwick stopped him by the front door and pointed to the edge of the hallway. Will nodded, understanding. The man was going to hide nearby while they spoke.

Fenwick dabbed his nose with his handkerchief. _Code_?

Will nodded again. He tapped his leg three times. _I'll call for Clara._

The other man tipped his head in acknowledgement and made himself scarce.

Bracing himself, Will turned to the door and opened it.

And froze.

Will's voice was just as still as everything else. Quiet. Unbelieving.

" _You_."

The woman tipped up her chin, her buff arms crossing over her chest. "I see you remember me," she said in a thick accent. What was it? He couldn't recognize it. "Not that it matters much. You won't be remembering me much longer."

Will was struggling to breathe. It was _her_. The woman from the cave-men group. She wasn't wearing her fur cloak like before, but Will had no doubt anymore. He found himself looking around behind her, searching for the rest of her group.

She noticed his glancing. "I'm alone," she told him. Her voice was like a whip—harsh and cold. "But I carry the same mission as before. I'm looking for him. I know he's here, and you cannot lie this time."

Will's eyebrow twitched. "Why do you want him so badly?"

"Because he's from our pack, dumbass," she snarled with a straight face, which made her seem all the more intimidating. "And just because he's taken a liking to you does not mean he gets to shirk off his duties as Alpha so he can go prancing in the moonlight with you."

"…Huh?" was his best reply.

The woman rolled her eyes. "What? You expected something less of him? Did he not tell you about all of the things he's been skipping out on so he could "heal"?"

Will blinked, his jaw slack. " _Huh_?"

She seemed to be growing impatient with him. "Are you just gonna stand there, wuss? Or are you waiting for the poor bastard to waltz in himself and save your hide from what I'll do to you for hiding him for so long? Stupid lovesick bastard. What more could you expect from some half-grown werewolf like him. Hasn't even seen five hundred moons yet. Bah."

The man couldn't even function enough to think beyond _what the fuck is she talking about?_

She was definitely aggravated now. "Quit blinking like a moon-eyed doe and give him to me already, you idiot!"

 _"Enough, Clarisse."_

It took Will a full fifteen seconds to process the voice that had spoken behind him. Then he turned—

And there stood Ghosty.

Clarisse barked a laugh. "Well, what do you know! Alpha boy has finally come out from licking his wounds! What a pathetic form you have, Neeks. I had such high regards from you until now."

The wolf's tail was tucked between his legs and his ears against his head. He didn't even glance at Will as he opened his jaws and _spoke_. _"Enough of your mockery, Clarisse. It is well-deserved, granted, but do not ridicule me in front of him."_

"What, are you afraid I'll hurt the poor _human_?" The woman snorted. "I can't take you seriously when you're in that Omega form. Change so I can take you seriously, Alpha dog."

Ghosty gritted his teeth. _"I'd rather not—"_

"In front of him. I get it. Now _do it_."

The wolf scratched the ground and snarled at her.

"Touchy, much? Go on. Hurry up."

Ghosty sighed, head low. _"What can I do to just make you leave, Clarisse?"_ he muttered as though he didn't expect an answer.

Then he transformed right before Will's eyes.

It was grotesque and fascinating at the same time, seeing the wolf he had grown to care for grow and stretch and thin out, losing hair and gaining fabric with every passing millisecond. It was finished in but a moment, but the time stretched into an eternity as Will's world crumbled down around him.

His world ended because one familiar face morphed into another, and Nico di Angelo was left standing in Ghosty's place.

Clarisse grinned. "There you are, di Angelo. Glad to see you've recovered nicely. I'm sure your boy will be happy to hear about that. He's been pretty skittish the past few months, you know. Worrying about you."

Nico's face melted into something brutally dark. It was nothing like Will had ever seen on the Italian's face. But he couldn't process anything. All he was able to do was listen in silence, scrambling to collect his thoughts and _understand what in Hades was going on_. "Aaron is already well aware of my wellbeing, Clarisse. I went and visited him moons ago."

"Is that a fact? You didn't seem to give the rest of us that pleasure. We figured that you had died in the aftermath, just like your poor opponent for Alpha."

Nico scowled. "You can stop it with the mockery. I understand my fault. You may take your leave."

Clarisse's eyebrows shot up. "You're not coming back? Don't you think the pack needs its Alpha?"

"I don't doubt that," Nico said, his voice softening with each word. "But I have something to finish here. Once that has been dealt with, I will surely return to you. As Beta, I can trust you and your mate to hold the ground until I return, correct?"

Like the flip of a switch, Clarisse's expression shifted. She seemed concerned. "We've been having issues with the _Romani_ pack, Nico. They've sensed our weakness. The pack needs you back. We need an Alpha to lead us."

"And you'll have one!" Nico snapped. His fire died the moment it was lit, and he looked away from her. "But not tonight. Please, return to the pack and spread the word of my recovery. For now, let me finish things up over here. Do not make me order you, Clarisse."

The woman frowned. "You'll return soon?"

"As soon as I am able. I swear it on my title."

Satisfied, Clarisse nodded. She turned her back to them and loped into the woods with inhuman agility, disappearing into the shadows.

Nico turned to Will, not meeting his eyes. "I'm sure you have plenty of questions," he muttered. "Will you grant me the time to answer them before you kick me out?"

Will couldn't speak. His brain wouldn't work, let alone his mouth.

The man—wolf? werewolf?—took the silence as a negative. "I understand," he whispered. "But I… You deserve to know." He looked up and met Will's gaze. What did he see? Confusion? Anger? Both? "Take me to your room, Will. I will tell you everything there, damn the rules of secrecy. Then you can kick me out. Okay?"

He sounded so feeble that it reminded Will of when they first met, _really_ met: injured, dying, covered in fur and blood under the silver moon…

Will wasn't sure how he felt about everything just yet—it hadn't all settled in—but he was certain that he wasn't happy about it. But he couldn't just say no, not after everything both Ghosty and Nico had done for him. He shuddered at the thought. _He was always talking to a huma—not even a human! What was it again? What did she call it? A werewolf? What the fuck is going on! Maybe I'm just dreaming. Hopefully just dreaming._

Despite the chaos going on in his head, he managed a nod for the man— _werewolf_.

Nico smiled weakly, nodded, and tilted his head into the hallway. A gesture to follow him.

Will complied.


	11. Chapter 10: Night

**_Chapter 10:_** **Night**

"That's why you have the same scar," Will blurted out.

Nico flinched, turned his head to the man, and frowned. The Italian had been leading him down the hall—after showing him that Fenwick had been safely knocked out and was taken to his room to sleep—while the pieces had been slowly falling into place in Will's mind.

"The scar. Over your eyebrow. I saw the same one on Ghosty—the wolf—your wolf form, I mean—ah, shit. Forget it."

Nico's confusion faded from his face, replaced with shame. The look would have surprised Will if he had been thinking straight. "Yes. That would make sense. Come on, let's wait until we're in your room, alright? I—you shouldn't want your daughter or one of the staff to overhear."

Will didn't argue.

The trip passed in a blur for the man as he followed Nico down the familiar labyrinth of hallways into Will's bedroom. He didn't have the ability to think about how awkward it was that Nico was taking him _to his room_ _to_ _talk_ at the time, but later he would be flushing in mortification. The implications, should someone have overheard, would have been terrifying the following morning.

As it was, it was the most Will Solace could do to follow Nico blindly into his room and sit down as Nico shut the door, locked it, and loped over to the window to draw the curtains shut.

Nico looked at Will from across the dimly lit room, eyes dark and uncertain. He shifted from foot to foot and fiddled with the hem of his leather jacket. He glanced at the man, looked away, and then glanced back. Finally, after a brief sigh and a steely expression etched into his face, Nico opened his mouth to speak.

"I'm dreaming, aren't I?" Will asked before a word could escape Nico's mouth.

The man's—werewolf's—jaw hung open for a couple moments before snapping shut. His gaze flickered away again, darkening to something close to obsidian. "Perhaps" was all he said in reply.

Silence ate its way between them, thick like the tendrils of shadow on the floor.

Nico gritted his teeth and looked back at Will. "I can make it that. A dream," he told him. His voice was so soft that Will had to strain to hear, even in the silence of the room. "If you want to live in peaceful ignorance, then I can wipe your memory. I can wipe yours, Clara's—everyone's. You wouldn't have to worry about me ever again."

 _Clara_. That one name triggered a flash of hot anger through Will's veins. "You lied to us," he accused.

The werewolf flinched, seeming to hunch into himself with every word Will spoke. "How so?" he whispered.

"You didn't tell us," Will said. He breathed in deeply and composed himself before his anger could get the better of him. "You should have told us—you should have told _me_. But you didn't. You just made me think that you were two different beings—two friends I could trust. You fucking ass _I trusted you_!"

Nico nodded, his bangs concealing his eyes. "I know what I did," he murmured. "And I can tell you why I did that. Will you listen?"

Will scowled. "How can I trust anything that comes out of your mouth? Fuck it—look what you did to Clare! She did all of that for you and all along she thought you were just a wolf when you were…you were…"

"Will," Nico whispered. "Listen to me. I did not lie to either of you. I just tried to make your life easier. Everyone who is connected with the mythical realm of the world ends up with danger coursing through their lives. I didn't want to drop you into that."

"Then why did you stay?" Will asked, aggravated.

Nico looked right through Will, like he wasn't even there. "Clara already knew."

What?

The werewolf nodded at the confusion that flashed across Will's face. "That first day… I passed by your mansion by accident. I was in my wolf form then, weakened and angry about what had happened. I wasn't thinking straight—I wasn't able to remember not to have myself exposed to the human race. I honestly figured that no one would look twice at a dying wolf. But…your daughter, Clara. She followed me into the woods as I struggled to walk. I didn't notice her, and then I… I tried to return to this form. Right in front of her. But I couldn't keep it up for very long. I only managed a few seconds. But she saw me."

Will didn't know what to think. "She never told me that."

"No," Nico whispered. "But that was because of me. I asked her to keep it quiet between us before she ran off to get you that day. I intended to grow stronger and wipe her memories of my transforming—so she would only think of me as the wolf 'Ghosty'—but…" He faltered.

"But?"

Nico glanced under his eyelashes at Will, and the sight sent an electric current through him. "But I came to care about her. And you."

Will's breath caught in his throat.

The werewolf smiled weakly at the man's stunned expression. "I know it seems selfish of me, to have done that to you. You deserved to live without having to know about this side of reality. But I couldn't help myself—especially after the wreck when you were hurt…" He trailed off, looking down at his hands. "At the hospital, Clara was surprised to see me in this form, but she was easy to explain to. She had already seen me like this before. Because of that, she was also all too willing to help me conceal the truth from you… She doesn't know all of the dangers that come with knowing about my kind, but she seemed to understand that you wouldn't be able to handle knowing about this…"

So Clara had been lying to Will, too. For some reason, that made the entire situation ten times worse than before. He had to hold himself back from snapping at Nico so he could hear the rest of the story.

"I'm sorry that I didn't realize what this would do to you." Nico was unable to look at Will by that point. He wrung his hands together and kept his eyes trained on them. "I was certain that I could keep you from knowing. But I ended up shoving away your safety when I found myself continuing to come to you in this form despite the dangers associated with it. For that, I'm very sorry. I'm ashamed by my actions. I know I won't be able to find forgiveness from you. Your eyes say that much. But, I still offer you a choice."

When Nico stopped speaking, Will was forced to tell him to continue. His voice was strained, angry beyond anything he had ever felt before.

The werewolf flinched at Will's tone. He looked small and powerless despite the power that he held. "Your choice is…you can keep these memories and continue to hate me, or I can wipe them from you and everyone who knows of me and you don't have to worry about seeing either one of my forms for the rest of your life."

"Everyone? Even Clara?"

Nico nodded.

Will thought about everything he heard. It sounded like an easy way out just to forget everything and not have to worry about anything that had happened in the last several months—in the last hour. He would forget about Nico and Ghosty and—

The thought made Will nauseous. _Forget_ about all of the moments that made him a better father to Clara? The moments that made him content and happier than he had been in all of his life? He couldn't just throw all of that away, even if Nico had been lying to him all along.

And then there was Clara. He needed to hear it from her before he believed what Nico was claiming, but if it was true… He had no right to rip those memories from her. Not when she had loved Ghosty and Nico more than Will ever had. Though it pained Will to think it, Clara had always seen the Italian as a second father. Loved him like she used to love Katherine—and perhaps even more.

Besides, he knew he hadn't yet heard the rest of the story. Nico had promised to tell him _everything_ , anyway.

When Nico didn't speak up after Will had obviously surfaced from being deep in thought, the man decided to speak up and ask the question that had been nagging at him ever since he learned of Nico's secret.

"What are you?"

Nico flinched and looked at Will, dark brown eyes startled by the question. "What?"

Will sighed. "What are you, Nico?"

The Italian's eyes cleared, replaced with confusion. "I'm a werewolf. Didn't Clarisse mention that already?"

"And what is that? A werewolf. What does that mean?"

"Oh," Nico murmured. "I see. Okay. Well, what do you think a werewolf is?"

Will frowned. The question had been meant for _Nico_ to answer, not for Will to guess on. He wanted a straight answer. But then again… Nico looked like he was going somewhere with the question. He might as well play along. "A wolf-man that can transform from a man to a, well, a wolf. Movies usually have the transformation during the full moon, but…"

Nico smiled. "Basically the same thing, except for the full moon thing. It's true that we're stronger during the full moon, but that's also true for night in general. We're a nocturnal species mutated by the elvish race to combat the vampires that were threatening them millennia ago. From then on, we've become solitary and independent from the elves. Not that we aren't friendly with them every once and a while."

"There are other species?"

The werewolf rolled his eyes. "Of course. Thousands, no, hundreds of thousands of species that humans see as folklore and the figment of stories and terrible romance movies. Though, granted, many of those species have been forced into hiding in separate dimensions in order to keep the humans from striking up war. Some have gone into extinction. Dragons, for example. Only weak-blooded mixes remain. Drakes and dragonettes and whatnot. The rest have died off from the last war between humans and us. Ah, I've gotten off topic, haven't I?"

Nico pursed his lips and studied the designs on the wall. "Moving on from the rest of the species—though if I were going to call you one, I'd say you were an elf… Great with medicine. Anyway. Werewolves are sensitive to silver as the legends say. But I say that lightly—we're more slightly allergic to it than anything as the generations progress. We've built up immunity."

"Silver," Will said, dubious.

"Yeah. We're also akin to wolves in the fact we have packs. Or some of us do, anyway. Others are loners."

"And you're an Alpha?"

Nico nodded. "Yes. I took the title from my father when he passed on almost a year ago now. The reason I ended up so injured was because a member of the _Romani_ pack came to me wanting to fight for my pack. After I won I ran off so my pack couldn't see me in my weakened state, and I washed away my scent in a stream so another member of the _Romani_ pack wouldn't find me in that state. That's why they had such trouble finding me. And why they went straight to you when they smelled wolf on you. I did well to conceal myself, but it ended up putting you in danger."

"Which is why you followed me to work that day," Will remembered.

"Which is why I followed you to work," Nico repeated softly. "And why you ended up getting hit by that truck. I've never felt so guilty in all of my existence."

"That wasn't you, though," Will said, surprised that he was speaking in Nico's favor. "I needed to help the victims in the crash. It wasn't your fault that I was distracted and got myself hurt in the process."

"There was _so much blood_ ," Nico mumbled, not seeming to hear him. "Your blood. Everywhere. I remember the screaming, and there was the truck driver stumbling over himself to apologize, and the mother of the girl with the broken ankle next to me. But you don't understand. _They_ didn't understand. Blood is a sensitive thing to werewolves. Especially the blood of a loved—or, um, someone you care about. And so much of it… I just…"

Despite his attempts to listen indifferently, his heart ached at the sight of Nico's pained voice and expression. Still, Will managed to sit still on the edge of the bed, waiting for him to continue.

After a long stretch of time of trying to collect himself, Nico let out a shaky breath. "I was lucky I wasn't caught that day. That all of the attention was on the crash victims and not on the wolf transforming in your car so I could get out and get to you."

Nico glanced at Will and glanced away just as quickly. "But that's not what you want to hear. I don't want to force you to pity me in any way, either. So. What else is confusing you? What else do you want to know about my kind?"

 _His kind_. Will suddenly realized that they _weren't even the same species_. Weren't there rules against that? Rules against, what…a relationship?

Will's head suddenly ached, and he decided that it would be best to think about it some other time. While Nico wasn't speaking, for instance. Or waiting for the man to answer his question.

"Uh…" was Will's best reply. He tried to remember what Nico had asked. Something about what Will wanted to know? Oh, right. Um… He remembered something that had been mentioned in passion. Something that had been bothering him greatly, and it made it even worse when Nico could have been lying about that, too. "Your son," Will said. "Is he real?"

"Aaron?" Nico murmured, raising his eyebrows. "Yes, he is real. If you'd permit it, I could bring him here once before we leave for good. Clara has actually been dying to meet him."

"Oh," Will said, surprised. He guessed the boy really _was_ real, if Nico was offering to bring him by. "I…suppose that would be fine," he was saying before he could help it. He coughed into the back of his hand, embarrassed. "I mean, for Clara."

Nico's lips tipped upwards in something resembling a smile.

Will cleared his throat awkwardly and looked away. "Anyway, as we're on the topic…  
He paused. "What kind of life span do, you know, werewolves have?"

Nico's eyebrow twitched. He reached up and scratched his temple. "Well, that's a harder one to answer. You see, I haven't had very much human contact outside of the recent months. But we werewolves have a longer lifespan by hundreds when it comes to wolves and wild dogs. To put it in years, though. Um. I guess around a century of life from birth to death. I myself am…twenty-five?"

"Twenty-five?" Will said, surprised. "You're a little younger than I had imagined. And you have a son?"

Brown eyes stared at Will for a long moment before Nico was chuckling. It wasn't a sort of sound Will had heard before—it was strained and dreadful, while at the same time being amused. "Aaron isn't my blood child, Will," Nico said between his chuckles, shaking his head. Almost as soon as those words had escaped his mouth, however, he was darkening. "Speaking of children…"

Suddenly Will thought about his daughter, and his heart twisted up at the awful thought that something bad might happen to her. _Maybe forgetting would be the best option…_

But could Will even trust Nico to do that? What if he tampered with his memory somehow? _Could he even wipe memories_?

Cutting into his thoughts came Nico's voice, sounding concerned. He wasn't looking at Will, though, so he couldn't have been directing his thoughts at the man's conflicting expression. Instead, his gaze was fixed again on the wall. "The Pack will become suspicious of this," Nico murmured, gesturing vaguely towards Will. "Why I've stayed so long after recovery; why I refused to return immediately the moment I was summoned. They'll assume things."

Will frowned. "Can't you just tell them the truth?" _Whatever that was_ , Will thought dryly.

Nico was shaking his head before Will even finished his sentence. "Werewolves are instinctive creatures. We do not care for children that are not our own. Even if said children saved our lives. No, werewolf custom has it to where they'll immediately link my reluctance with having a mate. No matter how good my other excuses are."

"A mate," Will felt odd saying the word.

He nodded in answer, black hair falling over his eyes. He opened his mouth to speak, closed it, and whispered after a moment: " _forgive me, Will_."

All of a sudden, Will's anger lashed back at him—sudden and fierce and _burning_. He gritted his teeth and forced himself to wait until he was thinking clearly again. Then, and only then, did he speak. "Just like at the hospital, isn't it?" he scoffed, unable to stop himself from the jab. The similarities were two alike not to piece them together. "You and your lies to get what you want."

Veins bulged from the werewolf's throat. "Yes."

Will took special interest in the drawn curtains across the room. Were they really that bland? He would need to replace them. Something dark blue sounded nice. "So. What does this mean?"

"It means," Nico muttered. "That I'll need to—no, _we_ will need to pretend to be mates. That means little, though. Once a month or two more pass, I can pass off as losing interest in you, and leave you then. I could wipe your memories then, if you'd like." Nico blinked and narrowed his eyes at the wall. "You know what!" he snapped, his growl shocking Will. It was a feral sound, and it sounded terrible from Nico's jaws. The hairs on the back of Will's neck stood up.

Nico swung around to face Will, his eyes blazing with anger and light. "They will not control this! I _fucking_ refuse it!" He stomped forward until he was right in front of Will, and the werewolf looked intimidating even though he was much shorter than Will. The man leaned back slightly, heart freezing in his chest as Nico continued, seething. "This is about _us_ , not them! Why would I even consider it! Fuck the consequences. This has gone too far. Will!"

Said man jumped and stumbled to reply. "Y-Yes!"

Dark hair was shoved away from Nico's eyes, and the werewolf glared up at the blond before him. "You choose. You deserve that much. It does not have to be now. No. Not today. Not even next week. But _you_ should be the one to choose. Should I stay or should I go? Should I wipe your memories, or will you keep them? I'll leave that to you, not them."

Nico's head twitched before Will could respond, and he cursed quickly in Italian. "Clarisse is still outside," Nico growled. "I'll go and chase her off. You need to sleep."

Will was infuriated by the thought. "I can't sleep after all of that! What the fuck do you take me for, idiot?"

Nico stared at Will for a long while. Then he snorted. "Right. Right. When do you think I should return, so I can hear your answer?"

The man flexed his jaw, unable to think straight with how fast things were escalating. "You come back as soon as you chase her off or whatever. Take the guest bedroom—you know where it is. I am not being a dick of a father to Clare while you're off being something not-human. I'll think with _you here_."

Nico looked thunderstruck. He seemed to lose his voice. Brown eyes glanced back to the window as if he heard something again, and his gaping jaw snapped shut. Suddenly, his eyes clouded with weariness. "Could I perhaps come back in the morning with my son? That way I can explain things to my pack myself. Fuck them."

Will exhaled. He rubbed the skin between his eyebrows, a headache forming. "Yeah. Sure. Just…don't be gone long, alright?"

Nico nodded. "I won't," he whispered. He took a step towards the door and paused. He turned back to Will. "Would you like me to put you to sleep?" he asked.

The man furrowed his eyebrows. "What?"

"A simple spell. Harmless to your memories. Or your dreams. But it will put you to sleep." Nico flexed his pale fingers and looked at Will, uncertain. "I doubt you can sleep in your current state. Neither would I. Might I?"

Will wanted to say no, but so far he had no clue if he was even telling the truth or not. Other than the whole Ghosty-Nico transformation, Will hadn't had much else to set Nico apart from humans. So he found himself saying: "Yeah. Yeah, sure."

He sounded just as drained as Nico looked.

The edges of Nico's mouth pulled back. Not in a smile, but in a more dreary expression. "Sit back down."

Will looked back at the bed, suddenly confused. When had he even stood? He was sitting down before Nico came up to him, eyes ablaze with fury with himself and the entire situation…

The man set himself back down on the mattress. His legs were trembling so uncontrollably he wasn't sure how he had even made himself stand in the first place.

Nico reached his hands towards Will's face. "I will need to touch you. But only for a moment," Nico said when Will flinched away.

Will leaned back forward, letting the tips of Nico's fingertips touch his forehead. His skin was cold and rough. Like the pads of Ghosty's paws…

A feeling washed over Will. A nice feeling. Calm, cool. Coarse dark fur. Coarse dark _hair_. Warm brown eyes. The same eyes, Will thought sluggishly. In the same thought, he found that whatever Nico was doing felt like drunkenness. He always got so tired. His eyelids drooped. Black tugged against the edges of his vision, stark against the white snow of the werewolf's hands.

In the background, a voice murmured to him. "I'll leave you now, Will. See you in the morning."

The voice sounded guilty. Shameful. Sad.

Will struggled to answer, but by then he was already asleep.


	12. Chapter 11: Fog

**_Chapter 11:_** **Fog**

 _Just a dream_.

At least, that's what Will wanted to believe. And did…for about ten minutes.

Which was just enough time to wake up, brush his teeth, quickly brush through his hair, thinking that everything he had gone through was merely fantasy and left only the tiniest of aches in his chest, and walk into the kitchen just to almost trip over a wolf.

He looked down, ready to scold Ghosty for falling asleep in the doorway, but he found himself meeting the melted-chocolate gaze of a wolf that _wasn't_ _Ghosty_.

The wolf leapt to its feet. _"Sorry! I didn't mean to fall asleep, but it was so warm…"_ it said in an ashamed voice. A child's voice. Will couldn't decide whether it was male or female.

The memories of last night flooded back to Will, making him stagger back a couple steps. It felt like a boulder decided to make itself at home in Will's chest, constricting his breathing and stopping his heart. _Fuck_ , was the only thought on Will's mind. _Fuck fuck fuck fuck not a dream._

The wolf, which was much smaller than Ghosty, tilted its head in concern. It padded forward, head held low, and asked, _"Are you okay, sir?"_

Will cleared his throat, patting his chest as though trying to force his heartrate to return to normal. It wasn't healthy the amount of times his heart had skipped beats in the last couple days—in the last _months_. "You—You're Aaron, aren't you?" he asked, his voice barely able to hold out over a whisper.

The wolf perked up at his words. _"Yep!_ Babbo _told me that you would know who I am! Did he talk about me much, mister? Did he tell you about that time with the sparrows? Oh! Oh! Wait! He told me you wouldn't know much about werewolves. Why is that, mister? Oooh! I could tell you the story with the sparrows! It was_ so _much fun! The rest of the pack was laughing_ super _hard after it happened!"_

 _"Aaron,_ Stella-Fiore _,"_ Nico's voice piped in, voice slightly scolding and mostly amused. He came padding in wearing his Ghosty skin, giving his son a good-natured jab to the side. He snorted at Aaron's yip of surprise, the sound more happy than Will thought possible after what had happened last night. _God,_ _last night._ _"Leave Will alone, won't you? He's only just woken up. Let him at least eat, first."_

Aaron tucked his tail between his legs. _"But_ Babbo _!"_ he whined.

 _"Aaron."_

The younger wolf flinched and scampered off, muttering as he left the room.

Nico turned his head to Will, meeting his eyes in a look of solemn reflection.

In that moment, it was clear to Will how different the wolves were. Their eyes were the only things that looked similar—Aaron was leaner (and much younger) with glossy sun-kissed brown fur that gently eased from light to dark throughout his build. Not the midnight black all over Ghosty's body. Not to mention that the fur on Aaron had looked silky, rather than Ghosty's obvious coarseness.

Then he remembered that he was supposed to be mad at Ghosty— _Nico_ —for lying to him, not staring at him like some star-struck fool.

Will shook his head, but he couldn't get the feeling of pure _family_ out of his head. Aaron was definitely Nico's boy.

"Is he, Aaron I mean," Will cleared his throat when Nico gave him his best impression of a raised eyebrow as a wolf—it looked rather funny. "Adopted?"

Nico sighed so deeply that it shook his entire frame. _"Come into the kitchen, Will, and I can explain as you eat."_ He trotted into the next room, leaving the blond with no choice but to follow.

The werewolf sat and waited for the chef to serve Will his food. Disgruntled, the blond noticed how all of the staff (however small) didn't at all seem concerned about Nico—Ghosty—or the new wolf. They acted either completely oblivious, or they were pointedly ignoring it. And Will had the sinking suspicion it was the former.

Nico caught Will's gaze as the man picked at his food and decided to answer. _"I had to take precautionary measures to protect you, your daughter and my son,"_ he murmured. _"I can trust you and Clara to be kind and keep our secrets, but I cannot trust these people who work for you. I hope you can forgive me for that."_

Though he kind of agreed with the werewolf's train of thought, Will merely grunted in reply.

Nico took that as a positive and changed subjects. _"On to the matter of your previous question. Go ahead, eat. I won't talk if you don't eat even a little bit. Good. You were right to believe that he's adopted."_

"What's so odd about that?" Will couldn't help but ask.

 _"Werewolves are very territorial,"_ Nico replied, his voice deep and hoarse. Heavy with old anger and hurt. He took a deep breath, looked around the room, and exhaled. _"Just…think about it. Back to last night, I told you that the only conclusion my pack would reach upon our situation would be that we were mates."_

Will rubbed his forehead, staring down at his coffee mug. It made the entire conversation easier, to pretend that he was talking with a very _normal_ and _human_ Nico beside him. Even if their current conversation was less than normal. "Because werewolves are territorial."

 _"Unfortunately,"_ Nico muttered. He scratched behind his ear with a hind paw, which had been Ghosty's way to share that he was irritated. _"But they should know that I'm not like them. Not entirely. Especially after Aaron."_

Will glanced over to see Ghosty's head hanging low, ears folded back. His claws scratched the dining room tiles as he thought over what to say next.

The wolf swallowed. _"You see, I found Aaron when he was but a couple days old, at the most. Still hadn't even opened his eyes. But I stumbled upon him during a cold winter day while his mother and father was leaving him behind, two pups in their maws. I demanded to know why they didn't just ask another wolf to help them move him along, but they merely grunted_ runt _and moved on. Never turned back to get him. Never saw them again."_ Nico snarled at nothing in particular, and Will caught a glance of brown fur in the doorway.

"Why did they leave?" Will asked.

Ghosty's—Nico's nose twitched. _"Because only the Alpha pair are allowed to breed unless with approval from the pair. It was the previous Beta and an Omega that had bred, and they were promptly kicked out of the pack. But that doesn't mean that no one would have helped them take their last pup out of the territory with them! It was just that they did not care enough. Aaron had been close to death since birth. They believed that he wouldn't make it."_

Aaron crept into the room and mumbled a small _"_ Babbo _…"_

Nico didn't act surprised at seeing his son. He only seemed to fall further into the hole he had dug, his tail drooping. _"Forgive me,_ Stella-Fiore _. I did not want to hold secrets from him any longer. Do you want me to stop?"_

The young wolf shook his head and pushed his nose into Nico's neck fur. _"No,_ Babbo _. Please keep going."_

Aaron settled next to Nico as the older wolf turned back to Will and started talking again. _"Since his own parents refused to take him in, there was no one in the pack who wanted him. Impure blood, they told me then. So he was left out to die. I was very young then. Hardly an adult for a werewolf, but I couldn't leave him to die. So I took him in with the help of my mother and sister."_

Nico's voice quivered and cut off. Aaron pressed himself closer to his father, giving him a reassuring lick on the shoulder.

The scene both weirded Will out and broke his heart. If he was willing enough to try, it would still take him a very long time to see Ghosty as Nico and expect to hear that same voice come out of a wolf's mouth. But it seemed that he was trying to make up for his months of silence by telling Will about his adoption of his son, and Will could also see that it was hurting him to do so.

"You don't have to say anymore," Will said softly, receiving two surprised looks. "I understand—well, no, I don't, but I think I get the gist of it. You don't need to say anymore if it's going to hurt you."

Nico turned his head down and exhaled slowly. _"There are many things that I want to tell you,"_ he admitted. _"And very few of them aren't going to hurt me this way. I will stop for now, though. You need to finish your breakfast, and Aaron needs some rest before he meets Clara. It's been a long journey."_

 _"I can't sleep now!"_ Aaron yelped, sounding like how Will had been the previous night. _"I want to keep talking to Will!"_

Nico gave the smaller wolf another jab to the side. _"There will be plenty of time to talk,"_ Nico assured him. _"Now go on to the guest room before I have to put you to sleep myself, you hear me? Go on,_ Stella-Fiore _. You need rest."_

 _"So do_ you _,"_ Aaron muttered.

 _"And I will join you in a few minutes, child,"_ Nico answered. He waved a paw at him. _"Now go on. Rest while you can."_

Aaron must have heard something in Nico's words that Will hadn't quite caught, because he closed his jaws and nodded without complaint, pressed his nose one more time into his father's shoulder, and headed off in the direction of the guest bedroom.

As soon as his son had disappeared around the corner, Nico morphed before Will's eyes into his human persona and sat down in the chair beside the blond. He looked exhausted: pale with dark bruise-like rings around his eyes. Like he hadn't slept a wink all week.

Despite Will's still-lingering anger with the guy, he hated to see anyone in that sort of condition. Like flipping a switch, the doctor in him was called to attention. "Did you ever sleep last night, at all?"

Nico flashed him a weary smile and shook his head.

Will frowned and opened his mouth to speak, but Nico cut him off before he could start his scolding. "I had to run with Clarisse to the pack and explain to them why I had to go into hiding for a while. It took even longer to give an excuse as to why I had stayed much longer than I should have. They _still_ think I'm having an affair with you."

Will closed his mouth. "Oh."

A minute passed in awkward silence, Will rubbing at the stubble on his jaw and staring down at his relatively untouched breakfast as Nico traced patterns on the countertop, face downcast.

"You really should go to sleep, you know," Will told him. "Aaron is waiting for you."

"I know."

Will looked at Nico. In that moment, despite everything that had happened the night before, Will could not see Nico as a werewolf. Even after seeing him change from Ghosty to Nico twice, he still couldn't register the abnormality of it. It was as if he were just upset that _Nico had lied to him_ , and not because there was a whole other world of beings that he hadn't been aware existed. "You have something you want to say, don't you?"

Nico's smile turned strained. "Aren't you the perceptive one this morning?"

The Italian fell into silence again, and Will decided to wait out his silence rather than force him to respond. He picked up his fork and poked at his food halfheartedly.

"…Actually," Nico muttered, rubbing his face. "I was expecting more questions that you wanted answered. Ones that…Aaron shouldn't be around to hear."

Will looked up. "Like what?"

Nico licked his lips—a nervous tic of Ghosty's—and tapped his chin. His voice was hoarse when he spoke next. "I figured you would have questions about my… _status_. As a werewolf."

Confused more than anything, Will asked, "About your werewolf status? You're an Alpha, aren't you?" He vaguely remembered Clarisse mentioning it behind the shock of Nico being a werewolf.

Nico's eyes flickered over to meet Will's, holding his gaze. He nodded.

Will was still puzzled. "What about it?"

A shuddering sigh passed through the werewolf's lips, and he laughed. Albeit a weak laugh, but a laugh nonetheless. "You're an idiot, you know that?"

" _I'm_ the idiot?"

Nico licked his lips again. "Come on, Will. Think about it. What do Alphas do?"

"They…lead the pack."

"And?"

"And? And they…what?"

Nico sighed in exasperation. "Alphas are the only ones to mate in a pack, Will."

"Yes… And?"

Nico raised an eyebrow.

Will felt dumb under Nico's piercing gaze, and he thought over Nico's words several times to try to understand. Slowly, the pieces clicked into place—and suddenly Will couldn't breathe.

Nico gazed over Will's reaction silently, nodding his understanding. He knew Will had finally caught on.

Swallowing and trying to breathe normally, Will croaked, "What does that mean? That we…"

Nico shook his head. "It means little," he reassured the doctor. "Werewolves do not have the rush to reproduce so badly as other pack animals. In fact, my father only had three children in his years as Alpha. And I intend to have none. Aaron is enough for me." _And Clara,_ Will's mind unhelpfully supplied.

"Why did you need to mention it, then?"

The werewolf ran a hand through his hair. "Because, well, it's important for you to know. Especially concerning your decision. If you let me stay, then it'll conjure rumors and assumptions within my pack, and it'll affect your life."

Will hummed. "Why does it mean little, then? If your pack is going to make such a big deal over it."

"Hell if I know," Nico said with a dark chuckle. "The pack just doesn't understand the way I think. All of us have to be sex-craving machines, apparently. Humans, werewolves, everyone." He covered his face with a hand, his cheeks turning pink. "But that doesn't change the fact that I've never…"

"You don't like sex," Will guessed.

Nico didn't reply.

Will watched as Nico's expression kept growing darker. "That's not a bad thing, you know," he murmured.

"I know," he replied. He sounded beaten, defeated. He exhaled and stood from his spot next to Will. "I've forced Aaron to wait for far too long. I should go on to bed. I just…thought you should know that much about me. So you don't have to worry about me jumping you. Or something."

"Nico…"

Nico looked at Will from under dark bangs, the shadows under his eyes more pronounced than ever.

Will sucked in a deep breath. "Thank you."

He wanted so badly to say more, but his mouth wouldn't work. Nico gifted the blond with a tiny smile and nodded, further silencing him. Will had always seen Nico as strong and confident, so this sudden change in personality—this weaker, _mortal_ personality—made it even harder for the man to stay mad at him. Like he should.

Nico looked down at Will's plate and fidgeted. "We'll rest for as long as we can. So eat and…I guess you can think some more. Clara is bound to be up within the hour."

Will nodded. "I get it. Go on and sleep."

Without another word, Nico left Will to his thoughts.

And fuck if there weren't a million things whirring around in his head by then.

 **~ΨΩΨ~**

If Will had any doubt before about Clara's prior knowledge of Ghosty being Nico, it was squashed within the first five seconds of seeing her.

He had migrated from the kitchen (breakfast still barely touched) to the living room, the fireplace cold and dead with spring arriving. In his lap he held the book he wasn't able to read—his mind was whirring too quickly for him to even comprehend anything other than Nico, werewolves, and alphas.

So when his daughter came in and silently found her way beside him, he flinched so hard it looked like he jumped a foot in the air. He whirled on his daughter, eyes wide. She had said something in excitement and worry, but it took Will far too long to register the words.

"Is Nico back yet? Did he bring his son? He said he would bring him along!"

Will blinked slowly at her, not comprehending. He nodded anyway.

Clara squealed and bounced on the couch. "Yay! I've wanted to meet Aaron for so long!"

Will swallowed. "Who—who told you he was bringing his son over? Are you sure it was Nico?" After all, Will certainly hadn't told her anything.

"Of course it was Nico! Who else?" Clara blinked suddenly, as though seeing her father for the first time. Her bouncing ceased. "Is something wrong, Daddy?"

It was hard to breathe all of a sudden.

"What else do you know?" he said, his voice hoarse. "What else has he told you?"

Clara looked alarmed. "Daddy? What's wrong?"

He shook his head. "Nothing. Nothing's wrong. Just. What has he told you? He told me that you knew about…" It was harder than he had thought, asking Clara if she knew that Nico was Ghosty. It made no sense, anyway. She had never once stuttered on who she was talking about, or did she? Will's head was beginning to ache. Everything was confusing him.

Luckily for him, Clara seemed to immediately understand what he meant. She leaned forward, as though sharing a well-guarded secret. Perhaps it was. "He showed you, didn't he?" she whispered, glancing towards the door. To make sure they were alone. "His _other form_."

Will's stomach dropped. So it was true. Nico had told him the truth. _One truth in many lies._ He nodded.

Rather than sobering, Clara became even more excited than before. She clapped. "That's great!" she exclaimed. "I felt so bad having to keep that from you—but Nico had insisted, see. He told me you would take it bad, but you'll get used to it, you'll see!"

Will was skeptic of Clara's claim, but he couldn't keep his mind on that subject for too long without feeling queasy. Despite how damn… _natural_ it had seemed in person, there was no arguing that Nico had basically been spying on them those days that he wasn't recovering from his wounds. And Clara had _known_.

Clara was busy chattering about how happy she was that Nico didn't have to hide anymore, but Will couldn't hear any of it. Not when there was a question on the tip of his tongue begging to be answered.

"When did you find out?" he cut her off mid-sentence. "When did you figure out that Nico was…Ghosty?"

"Oh, from the beginning." Clara turned thoughtful, as though remembering the time. "He was Ghosty when I first saw him at the edge of the woods. When I went out after him, though, he didn't notice I was there. He tried to turn to Nico, but he couldn't hold the form and collapsed. I ran to him after that and told him to stay, that I would go get my Daddy to heal him. Before I left, though, he told me as Ghosty not to tell you about his _other form_. That you wouldn't take it well. I knew what he meant. People don't just turn into wolves, you know. I was surprised too."

Will grunted, his head throbbing. "But…you never acted odd when talking about Nico with Ghosty…or Ghosty with Nico."

"Of course not." Clara looked hurt. "I am an _actress_ , Daddy. I had my role. I kept it. I couldn't make things just _seem_ weird between Nico's forms, or else you or someone else might notice."

Will couldn't help the twitch of his lips, the reluctant smile awkward and childish. "You were in _one play_ , Clare. I'd hardly count that as you being an actress."

"Hush, Daddy!" She flared her arms dramatically, sitting up on her knees. "You can't muffle my talent. I won't let you! I am" she leaned in close again "an _actress_!"

Will chuckled weakly and rolled his eyes. "Actress. Right. Well, talent does run in your blood. Uncle Mike was quite the drama queen himself back in grade school."

"Drama queen!" she cried, holding a hand over her heart. "Daddy, please! Anything but!"

Will ruffled his daughter's hair, laughing a tad stronger. He knew what Clara was trying to do, and he was more than grateful. His silly girl always had a habit of making his stress and troubles fade away. He was glad he had time to come home every now and again and see her more. He had missed her.

"So…" Clara trialed off. "When do I get to see Nico and Aaron?"


	13. Chapter 12: Murky

**_Chapter 12:_** **Murky**

His decision came fairly quickly after his talk with Clara—not that he would admit that to anyone. It was simple: if Clara could act so…so _normal_ with Nico's and Aaron's werewolf personas, then Will could at least give it a shot. He wouldn't tell Nico immediately, though… He still needed a while to think things over. But, for now, he would wait and see how things might turn out.

If Nico noticed anything odd in the way Will was acting—because he honestly felt like a chicken with his head cut off—he didn't say anything of it. He paid more attention to the children's quick-building friendship. "Much like siblings," the Italian would mutter once to Will a couple days after Clara and Aaron's initial meeting. But nothing else since. Nothing that might hint at the predicament they had between them.

Will was tempted time and time again to tell him. To admit that he actually wanted to let things run through. But other times it was the opposite. Something would remind him of the lies Nico had held silent between them, the trust that had never been there between them. That the secret had been revealed through force, rather than acceptance.

His conflicting thoughts left a sour aftertaste in the back of his throat. Nico had to have seen the look on his face whenever he felt that way, but never did he ask about it. He seemed to slowly push himself away from Will, as though trying to keep them apart. So they wouldn't get hurt in the aftermath should their lives push them away. Along with that came the deafening silence, the dark circles of sleepless nights, and the lack of smiles that had once lifted Will's heart above the clouds.

Aaron and Clara were a different story. More than once Will had fallen to his thoughts in the living room, staring blindly at the dead fireplace believing that the children were busy playing outside, only to find them at his side, his daughter and a young wolf boy. Perhaps Nico had told them why Will was acting that way; perhaps they were just wiser than their years, but nonetheless they curled up with him and sat for a while in silence.

Aaron was the quieter of the two by far—excitable from play and stories, but he seemed used to the thoughtful and dark silence that Will emitted. As though he had experienced them plenty himself. In those times, he curled his small wolf form over Will's feet and peeked up at the man from over his tail.

The young werewolf, in silence, would then help resolve Will's troubles. Nico's boy was real, as Nico had claimed. Real and warm and innocent and kind. One truth, two truths, three truths… Will was able to count off several of the things Nico had said that were fact. Especially now that Nico was determined to prove himself to Will after his months of secrecy.

 _"Werewolves are like wolves and—well, some humans, I might say,"_ Nico murmured to him as they watched Clara chase after a playful Aaron. Even in his human form, the boy was graceful and swift. _Much like his father,_ Will's mind would then unhelpfully supply. He turned to give Ghost— _Nico_ his full attention. Nico exhaled softly. _"We only have one mate, usually for life."_

"Even those who can't mate?"

 _"Some of them. Usually those are the higher-ranked wolves, like Betas or Deltas. Those closer to taking over should the Alpha couple die without an heir."_

The explanation made sense to Will, so he nodded without question. But he knew Nico was going somewhere with it concerning the blond, so he asked him what he wanted to say.

Nico chuckled and took a moment to scratch at a place on his back with his hind leg. _"Usually werewolf mates 'break up', as you humans would say, after one of the two dies off."_

"But it won't work that way for us." Will was certain with that claim.

Nico nodded. _"The others won't understand, as always. But I am not worried. They will leave you be once I return for good. Perhaps once or twice they'll come snooping out of curiosity, but no more."_

Will swallowed thickly, Nico's words having struck him hard in the stomach. _Once I return for good_. Nico believed there was no chance, then, that Will might want him to stay. The man figured it was understandable. His silence and avoidance probably had done less good than more.

But was he ready to tell Nico? No, he didn't believe so. But he didn't want Nico to further distance himself just because of that. He had been kind to Will, after all. Not to mention kind to Clara. She loved the werewolf, after all—like a second father.

Maybe Nico was the one who wanted to leave, though. He had a pack to tend to. Perhaps Will wasn't worth the wait, nor would he be good at helping with a pack of werewolves. A human mate, ha! Will was sure that Nico would be ridiculed for that. And the danger would only begin there. Nico would have to protect him and his daughter constantly from rival packs and whatnot, and that would make it extremely difficult to remain indiscreet to the human world and lead a pack of werewolves at the same time.

Will heaved a sigh and rubbed his forehead, meeting Nico's wolf gaze. Those dark eyes were familiar yet distant, understanding yet cold. In that instant, Will's own resolve kicked in. Danger or not, he had come to be fond of those eyes, from the wolf and man alike. He didn't want them to look at him like that: like he was a stranger. Not when they used to look at him so softly, so affectionately.

That in mind, Will reached over and scratched Nico behind the ears, just as Ghosty had liked it. Nico froze at the touch, eyes widening and fixing on Will.

"I'll keep my word," Will murmured, focusing on his daughter and Nico's son playing at the edge of the woods. Not on the wolf staring holes into the side of his face. "I'm a bit stingy, I suppose. For not realizing this before. But I told Clare that we would work on being happy. And I intend to do that. _Without_ Katherine's approval." At the name, Nico's ears immediately laid back flat on his head. "And when Clara's happy, I'm happy. And I'm certainly not happy when _you're_ a pile of insomniac misery yourself."

Nico pawed the earth and grumbled.

Will curled his fingers in the wolf's neck fur. "You make Clara happy," he whispered. "And I was also…not against your company, Ghosty or Nico."

Nico stared.

Will coughed into his fist and fell silent.

After a long stretch of awkward silence for Will, Nico exhaled and nudged the man with his nose, urging him to look down at the wolf. Black ears pricked and poised still as the rest of his body, Nico parted his jaws and told Will, _"I am also not against your company. Nor_ Clarina _'s."_

His voice was soft—weak, vulnerable, yet hopeful. He leaned his head against Will's hand.

 _"In fact, I have preferred it over the pack's company. Of friends and family that I have known all of my life."_ Nico's voice trailed away, his wolf face thoughtful. _"Perhaps I am too forward, thinking this way. I will put you in more danger than you are already in. And I will not be able to stay all the time, as I would wish to. Clarisse was right about the_ Romani _pack. They seem to be ready for war, with me in absence."_

"But?" Will asked, knowing that there was one on the tip of Nico's tongue.

 _"But,"_ Nico chuckled. _"I have grown fond of your company, I suppose. It would be difficult, but I would not be against trying to make it work."_

"Neither would I," Will blurted, and he blushed at his sudden statement. He hadn't meant to say that aloud.

Nico's gaze became warm, which calmed Will's nerves. The werewolf sat up on his haunches and pressed his muzzle flush against Will's cheekbone. After a few moments of sitting like that, the feeling of fur was replaced with skin, and Nico's cheek stayed pressed against Will's. Just like Ghosty's.

The Italian watched the children play, eyes brighter than they had been before, even if there were still bruises under them that spoke of restless nights. His cheek was colder than the wolf's fur, but Will found it just as comforting. Their shoulders brushed in their closeness, Nico turned slightly towards Will with black hair falling into the blond's face. Their breath mingled in the cool spring air, more intimate to Will than even the most provocative moments that he had shared with Katherine, years ago.

His ex-wife was but a faint dream at that moment, and she continued to fade the longer Nico and he sat together under the sun, their children playing in the trees.

And for once, Will didn't long for her to come back.

 **~ΨΩΨ~**

It did not come immediately, the old comfortable ways they had before. Whether it had been Ghosty or Nico, Will had always felt natural with them. Well, strike that, not natural. But contented. Fond. Affectionate, even. Not anymore. Not now that Nico and Ghosty were, well, all and the same.

But at least everyone else seemed to take Nico's stay with stride. Will's coworkers (not to mention cousin) were delighted to see him again when he came around to visiting Will at work. They told him stories about Will while the other man was off working, and Nico did well to return those stories to Will with a bemused expression. They never ceased to make Will blush or stutter over himself with embarrassment, which further amused Nico.

His coworkers were also all-too-welcome of Nico's son, as well. The more motherly of them cooed over the beautiful boy and ruffled his hair. Aaron was nervous under all of the attention, and he tended to duck behind Nico or Will whenever he could. Once, the boy hid in Will's white doctor's coat, clutching Will's shirt while painstakingly waiting for things to quiet down. Will had been surprised. He had been talking with a recovering surgery patient at the time, one who was currently blinking at the child in surprise and confusion, her nervous plucking at her gown stilling.

"Aaron? What are you—"

"Shh," Aaron hissing, gripping Will's shirt tighter. "Don't let them know I'm here."

His voice was overwhelmed and nervous, and Will patted the boy's back in a sudden fit of fatherly concern. "Not used to all of this, are you?" Will whispered down at him.

Aaron peeked up, brown eyes wide and doe-like. "I'm supposed to get used to this?"

Will rubbed soothing circles in the boy's back. "I suppose not, if you don't like it. Pampering can get a bit hard to handle when it comes from strangers, huh?"

Aaron hid his face in Will's shirt and nodded.

Will sighed. "I get it." He looked up at his patient. "Sorry about this. He's…He's my boyfriend's boy. They came by a little while ago to visit." It felt odd to call Nico his _boyfriend_ , but…how else would he explain it?

The patient's eyes cleared of confusion. "He's a beautiful boy," she complemented immediately.

Will smiled, because he just had to agree. "Yes, he certainly is."

"Aaron?" a voice called from the doorway. Will turned his head and, seeing Nico standing there, nodded and patted Aaron's head.

The boy looked around, sniffled and returned to Will's embrace.

"He's a bit frightened, I'm afraid," Will murmured as Nico let himself in.

"Your friends certainly do like him," Nico agreed. He nodded to the patient once in greeting and turned to his son. "Aaron, let's head on back, okay? _Clarina_ will be home soon. Shouldn't we go meet her when she arrives? I'm sure she'd be happy to see you."

Aaron looked up at his father. "What about _Papi_?" he asked, referring to Will. He had adopted the name as soon as Nico had told them that they were _definitely_ staying longer. Aaron wasn't a fool—he knew why the moment Nico tilted his head slightly towards Will as he said this. The title stuck. _Papi_.

Nico exchanged glances with Will. "He still has some time before his shift ends. Ah, how long was it?"

"I'm off at six," Will answered, which still seemed too early to him. He was used to working into the wee hours of the morning. Midnight had been early for him, not _six in the evening_.

Nico nodded. "Just in time for dinner. See, _Stella-Fiore_? He'll be home for dinner. Now, let's leave him to his work, alright?"

Aaron reluctantly let go of his death grip on Will's shirt and went obediently to his father. "Take care, _Papi_ ," he urged quietly.

"You too, Aaron," Will replied, offering the boy a small smile and wave.

Nico and Will looked at each other again. There were no words, but the message between them was clear: _you take care, too._

Nico murmured goodbye and led his son away, back home to Clara.

"He was pretty good looking too, you know," his patient piped in suddenly, reminding Will of her presence. "You're a lucky guy. He seems so nice. So few guys are, nowadays."

Will smiled at her. He didn't tell her how much those words meant to him; he just gave her his thanks and excused himself when a nurse came in to check on her.

 _Lucky_. Such an odd word to say about Will. But he had to admit, he felt pretty lucky himself. What with all of the shit he had to go through to get to that point.

Not that he was anywhere _near_ close to getting out of that same shit, though.

 **~ΨΩΨ~**

Will looked up at a knock on the living room door, Nico standing at its mouth with a blanket in the crook of his arm. "I'm sorry for disturbing you, but the children are asleep. I thought we might talk some."

Will immediately closed the book he had been reading and set it aside. "Talk about what?"

Nico strode in and took his place next to Will on the couch, throwing the blanket over their legs. He let the silence of the moment hang between them for a moment before sucking in a breath. "I heard from Judith that you received another call from Katherine."

The way he said her name made Will shiver, the hairs of the back of his neck rising. It was dark, loathing. Perhaps even a touch of jealousy. "Yes, I did," Will replied, not without a touch of confusion. "Why?"

"Well, this isn't what I was necessarily coming in here to ask you, but have you…told her? About us, I mean."

Will cleared his throat. "Um, no. Not yet. But! She doesn't give me the opportunity, though! It's all this shit about—" Will casted a wary gaze at the door "—Clara's birthday gift."

"That's the reason I came to you, actually," Nico admitted. "I have some ideas to run by you—not any to share with Katherine though. Absolutely not. And you realize I can tell that you're lying about not having time to tell her? She calls you every fucking week, for Hades' sake."

Will's shoulders slumped in defeat. "Sorry," he mumbled.

Nico casted an understanding smile Will's way. "I know. It's fine. Well…" He paused and looked at the space between them. "I was wondering why you wouldn't, I suppose. You were fine telling your coworkers, your cousin, and your brother. I'd figure you'd be almost proud to tell her about me. If only to show her that she doesn't mean everything to you. But, well, maybe I'm thinking about this differently from you."

Rubbing his temple, Will exchanged thoughtful looks with Nico. "I don't know if I can find words to explain. It's just…awkward, I suppose. Discussing my love life with my ex-wife."

Nico nodded. "I see. Well, you don't have to tell her, then. If I'm able, I'd like to be here for Clara's birthday party. Clara's been all abuzz about us staying for the party. All of her family and friends will be there, she says. Wouldn't that be a perfect moment to drop the bomb on Katherine?"

Will couldn't help the laugh that bubbled up to his lips.

Nico grinned crookedly at the response he got. He slung his arm over the top of the couch and relaxed. "Anyway, moving on from absolutely ruining your ex-wife. About Clara's birthday gift…"


	14. Chapter 13: Silver

**_Chapter 13:_** **Silver**

"We'll never stop them now."

Will chuckled at the tone of Nico's voice—the odd mix of exasperation and fondness. It was cute, in a way, how he fluttered after the children as they giggled and ran ahead up the forest trail, held back only when Will took his hand and let them lead. They wouldn't get too far, Will assured him. Just let them have their fun.

The werewolf shot him a withering look, but not without a touch of warmth. "You just _had_ to go out with them and buy them ice cream, didn't you?" he said with a huff. "You know that I prohibit sugar for a _reason_."

"What's the problem with a little treat?" Will said. He offered Nico his best smile. "I just figured they deserved something nice after having to deal with us all of these months. Plus, you know, Clare's birthday is coming up in a few days…"

"And I'm sure they'll get all of the sugar they want and _more_ come her birthday party," Nico replied, shaking his head and gifting Will with a smile of his own. He adjusted their hands so he was clasping back, rubbing the pad of his thumb into the back of Will's hand.

Will felt his face heat up. He cleared his throat and looked away, into the trees. It was a clear and beautiful day: not too warm with a pleasant breeze shifting through his hair every few minutes. The air smelled like rain. The birds were chirping and singing and flapping about. Nico's hand was warm—not hot, not sweaty, but a pleasant almost lukewarm heat that just barely registers into the skin. Will was sure his was sweaty or becoming sweaty, but Nico didn't complain. He looked content with holding Will's hand. He had that look on a lot more than Will had thought possible over a short period of time. Nico turned to meet Will's stare, smiled softly, squeezed Will's hand, and nodded. _We're fine._

The blond was relieved somewhat of his nervousness, and returned the pressure.

Nico's smile widened minutely and he watched ahead for the children. "Something's on your mind," he guessed.

The circles rubbed into Will's hand calmed him. "Yeah."

The werewolf waited for him to continue, and the silence between them waned in the life of the forest. Aaron and Clara were giggling over their dripping cones, kicking up leaves and skipping down the trail as though there was no darkness or pain in the entire world. Everything was peaceful.

Nico's thumb hadn't ceased its soothing strokes. It was rough like the pads of Ghosty's paws, calloused yet oddly soft and comfortable to Will. It was like Clara's friends all over again. Ghosty's fur had been rough and displeasing to them, but not to Will. Perhaps it was only because Will had never owned any pets. He didn't know how soft fur could be. But he still felt it was significant, his differing feelings, as though that one unique thing tied the chaos together. He turned to Nico again.

"I was wondering about something concerning werewolves."

Nico's ear twitched at his sudden voice, and he glanced over. His dark bangs fell just over his eyes. "And what would that be?"

Will swallowed. "Just, you know, if there were certain things you all do…"

The Italian must have guessed Will's intent just by his flustered tone of voice. His eyes dusted over with warm amusement. "Oh?"

The blond grunted and said nothing else.

Nico smirked. "You didn't elaborate," he accused, no bite in his voice. "How am I to know what you meant? What do werewolves do? Not to mention _certain_ things we do. However am I supposed to take that?"

To keep from further embarrassing himself, Will clamped his mouth shut and glared at Nico. He felt his face heating up despite all attempts to stop it. Exposing him. He knew Nico had seen the red in his cheeks when the werewolf chuckled. He stepped closer to Will, their arms almost touching. Will noted how Nico was half a head shorter than he—and it surprised him. Perhaps he just seemed larger when he was angry, intimidating…

The werewolf butted his forehead against the blond's shoulder. He chuckled again. "You meant how we show affection, did you not?"

The heat in Will's cheeks moved to the tips of his ears, and Nico grinned triumphantly.

"No need to be embarrassed, _idiota_ ," he huffed. His smile never wavered. "It's a good enough question. No doubt you have different ideas of affection than I. One thing, perhaps, would be that mouth-to-mouth thing I've seen on the streets."

Will was shocked. "Kissing?"

"That's right. _Kissing._ " Nico looked thoughtful for a moment. "Seems like an odd thing to do. More often than not it would transfer illness, too. What is it that makes it attractive? I mean, I did it for you a couple of times on the forehead and cheek because I figured it would be customary, and you responded well to it, but other than that…"

Will cleared his throat awkwardly. "It's just a common way of showing affection. Usually not in public, though, but a lot of people just don't care about that sort of thing…"

"No propriety, then," Nico said. He hummed. "I suppose you know all about it, though."

"It's been a long time," Will admitted.

"You know it better than I do."

Will scratched the back of his head. "Perhaps a little…"

Nico grinned wider. His eyes travelled to Will's mouth, lingering. "Perhaps I should see what all the fuss is all about," he said in an offhanded manner.

Will made an embarrassing sound in the back of his throat. His eyes went wide.

Nico's smile softened. He shifted topics back to the question Will hadn't been able to finish. "One of our most popular shows of affection is scenting our partners. Nuzzling, rubbing—anything to get our scent onto the other. It's a mark of mates, in a way. No one can deny it. But there's no need for that in a human society, is there? Your noses aren't the keenest."

Will patted his cheek with his free hand, trying desperately to cool them down. He was almost regretting asking. Almost. "No, they're not."

"Sad," Nico said. He sounded sincere. "You and Clara have wonderful, healthy scents. Even more so now than those many months ago when we first met."

Will's gaze flickered over to Nico. He didn't know how to take that statement, let alone respond to it, so he remained silent.

Nico lifted their entwined hands and sniffed his skin. "Healthy," he repeated, stroking Will's fingers with his other hand. "Happy, contented. Not a trace of stress or fear. Discomfort or anger. No illness, no injuries. Except for that little scrape you made while shaving a day ago."

Will blushed. "Can you tell all of that from my scent?"

Nico nodded, eyes still on Will's hand.

"You'd be better off as a doctor than I am!"

The werewolf chuckled and shook his head. "What I have in abilities I lack in everything else. I cannot stand the smell of blood or inner fluids. I also don't know anything about the tools or medicines used in healing. I would be about as helpful as a sack of flour."

Will raised an eyebrow. "You don't like the smell of blood?"

"Hades, no." Nico laughed. "Especially the blood of a partner or a family member. It's unbearable. I do not know how I managed to keep myself by your side when you were bleeding out on the road those months ago. The spilling of blood to werewolves can either lead to the lust for killing or the sickness of watching someone close to you die. There is no in-between."

With a sigh, Nico dropped their hands between them and looked off for the children. They were farther off now, but not in any danger. Their laughter told Will that much. He turned back to Nico. There was a question tugging at the tip of his tongue—insistent, urgent. He decided to go on and say it:

"What was I to you then?"

Nico's eyes snapped back to Will.

Will held his gaze as best he could, fighting the urge to look away. The Italian's gaze was unsettling and unreadable. And it about drove the other man crazy as his eyes bore into Will's for countless minutes.

Finally, Nico's gaze softened. He opened his mouth to reply, hesitated, and his gaze shifted from warm to fierce in an instant. He tilted up his chin and scented the air. His voice came like a harsh whisper, almost drowned out in the songs of the forest and the laughter of the children. "We're not alone."

He dragged his hand out of Will's and made a sound akin to a bark. A high, yelping sound that spoke of his alarm. Immediately, the children's laughter cut off, and the chittering of the wildlife in the forest went dead silent.

After a few moments of smelling the air, he made the sound again. The hairs on the back of Will's neck rose.

The children ran to them, fingers sticky with sugar and eyes wide with fear. Aaron chittered frantically in another language as Clara asked what was going on. Both went to Will and clutched their hands into his shirt, keeping close.

Aaron tilted up his head at another bark from Nico, and he sniffed the air as well. Fear became alarm, and he barked, too. Albeit weaker.

Clara looked from Nico to her father. "What's happening?" she whispered.

Will could only shake his head and turn to Nico, who was staring at one point of the forest. He shifted until he was standing between them and the point he was staring at.

Will watched the spot along with the children, waiting. Holding his breath. Slowly, painstakingly, someone emerged from the shadows. A woman, adorned in furs and a purple-scale cape, stepped out before Nico. On her face was an easy smile as Nico tensed at her arrival.

"You have grown up so much," she spoke then, voice warm but holding authority. She held out her hands, showing she had no other weapons but those. "Could it be you don't recognize me?"

"Reyna," Nico said.

Reyna nodded, still smiling, and lowered her hands. Two wolves, one grey and one blond, came to stand at her sides. "It's been too long, Nico. I haven't had the chance to talk to you in many, many moons."

Nico hadn't relaxed his form, and Reyna seemed to realize this. She glanced away from him to Will and the children, and her gaze cleared.

"No need to fear," Reyna told him. "I am only here to speak to you, not to harm your mate and children."

Finally Nico's voice replied, strained and borderline angry. "What of?"

"I heard your mother and father died some moons ago. You are the Alpha now, correct?"

Nico clenched and unclenched his hands, seeming unsure what to do. "Yes."

Reyna nodded. "Then we must discuss treaty plans before a war starts out. I do not wish for bloodshed, but you remember Octavian?"

Nico growled wordlessly. The wolves at Reyna's sides flattened their ears.

Reyna nodded. "Yes. I see you do. Then you must realize the urgency of this meeting."

Nico glanced back and met Will's gaze. His eyes were dark, unreadable.

"We will not lay a claw on them, I swear on the River between our packs," Reyna said.

That seemed to calm Nico down. He nodded, still looking at Will. "Take them back home, Will," he murmured. "Could you do that?"

Will didn't want to, but he nodded. "When will you return?" he asked as Nico turned back to follow Reyna.

"I would hope to return during the evening. But I may be longer. Don't try to wait for me."

" _Babbo_ ," Aaron began.

"No," Nico said immediately, turning to look at his son. "Go with them. They may need you yet."

Aaron clutched Will's shirt tighter. He nodded.

Nico nodded back. He turned back to Reyna. "Let's get this over with then."

Reyna smiled, but the look was strained. "Indeed. Let us take to our original forms and speak a little ways to the north, where the River lies. You will be able to return by twilight, perhaps in time for a late meal."

Nico said nothing as they disappeared into the forest. He looked back once, and Clara waved at him wildly. Will was surprised by her uncharacteristic silence, but felt it was better for that moment. Nico waved back, the gesture small, and left.

 **~ΨΩΨ~**

As Reyna had promised, Nico returned just as the sun was dipping below the horizon. He looked exhausted, beaten, and he flopped down on the couch the first moment he got. Even if that meant his head fell right into Will's lap.

Will yelped at the sudden movement, coaxing a worn chuckle from the werewolf. Nico propped his foot up over the arm of the couch, the other on the floor. "Sorry to surprise you," he mumbled. He even sounded tired. "I just need a few minutes to rest my eyes…"

Aaron and Clara came into the living room as though summoned, and they crawled on Nico to lay themselves down on his chest. They practically rattled with questions, but for now they were silent. Nico's eyes were closed, rings prominent below them, and his chest lifted and eased the children down, over and over. Soothing. Soon, even they were edging towards sleep.

Will looked down at Nico, also buzzing with his own questions. But the look on his face, peaceful with sleep, allowed those questions to slide away for the time being. Will touched his hair, coarse like Ghosty's, and couldn't help but smile.

A few minutes of running his hands through Nico's hair brought Fenwick to the door, whispering about receiving another call from Katherine. Will was tempted to stay, but when Fenwick advised against it—he had skipped out on answering for the last two weeks, and she still had no idea of what to get Clara—Will exhaled and looked down at the sleeping three guiltily.

He tried not to shift Nico too much, but Nico had never been a very deep sleeper. His eyes fluttered open, blurry with sleep, and he yawned. "Where are you going, Will?" he murmured.

Will, unable to help himself again, ran his fingers over Nico's forehead. "I just have to answer a call, is all."

"Is it Katherine?" Nico asked. There was no jealousy in his tone anymore. Just a weary annoyance.

There was no reason for Will to lie, so he told Nico that it was.

Nico grunted and looked down at the children sleeping on his chest. "I'd like to be there with you, but…"

"I know. Don't move." Will chuckled softly. "Go back to sleep, if you can."

"But I'm cold now," he grumbled back. He laid his hand atop Aaron's head, and the boy sighed in his sleep. Will smiled at the show of affection, gave the werewolf a gentle rap on the head, and left him with the children. Nico tugged him back from the hem of his shirt. "Wait. Katherine still doesn't have an idea yet, does she?"

Nico was being vague, but Will understood. He nodded.

The Italian tapped his chin. "She would like something wolf-related, wouldn't she? Recommend something of that nature."

"Sounds good," Will said. He touched Nico's hand, and the other man let it drop back to the couch. "I'll be back in a little while."

Nico grunted, already edging back to sleep.

Will answered Katherine's call with more cheer in his voice than he'd intended. _"Is something the matter, William?"_ she asked, immediately suspicious. _"You seem beside yourself. What happened?"_

"Nothing happened," Will said a little too hurriedly. "Anyway, you're calling again to ask about Clara, aren't you?"

 _"Yes. And to ask about you,"_ Katherine said, voice crackling on the other end as she shifted around—perhaps in her kitchen. _"Has she told you about anything?"_

"She hasn't. But I think I have a good idea about what she might like," Will said. "Something that would remind her of N—of Ghosty. I think she'd love you if you got her a toy or something like it."

 _"Ghosty. You mean that wolf you have as a pet?"_

"A friend and companion," Will corrected. "But yes. Can you scrounge up anything in that time? It's only a few more days before her party."

 _"I think I can manage. I already got her a little something, so this might help out with that. Thank you, William."_

"My pleasure," Will replied.

Katherine switched subjects: _"Now, back to you."_

Will frowned and waited.

 _"I know that you have work and everything, but have you done anything for Clara?"_

"We went out today and got some ice cream and took a walk in the forest," Will replied. "She seemed to enjoy herself. She says she loves the spring air."

 _"I see."_ Katherine sounded relieved. _"Good. What about yourself? Have you tried finding someone?"_

Will was honestly tired of that conversation—it came up _every single call_ —but now he was about ready to chuckle from the irony. _If only you knew._ Instead of saying that, he just said "If I've found someone by then, then I'll bring them to the party. You can stop asking about that now. Perhaps a single life is what I want right now."

Judith, who had been passing by just that moment, halted and gave Will a strange look.

Will was fighting back a laugh, and Judith's gaze cleared and she giggled behind her hand. She understood. She waved and left him to his business.

 _"You know why I'm asking, William,"_ Katherine said with mock-patience. _"Clara deserves a mother."_

Will covered the mic on the phone and snorted loudly. When he was sure he wasn't going to laugh, he let go and replied, "I know that, Katherine. You remind me every time you call now. I'm doing what I can. Besides, Clara seems happy right now just by having a father. I have a little bit to find someone we'll genuinely care about."

 _"Right."_ Katherine didn't sound convinced. _"Anyway. I won't hold you. I'm sure you'll want to get on to sleep so you can get to work nice and early tomorrow."_

Will actually hadn't been planning on going to work until the afternoon, when his actual work generally started. "Sure. Good night, Katherine."

 _"Bye, William."_

Will hung up and burst out in uncontrollable laughter.

 **~ΨΩΨ~**

"It looks like the call went well."

Will snorted at being reminded of it, carrying Clara to her bedroom while Nico carried Aaron just behind him. "You could say that."

Nico hit Will with his head, his arms being occupied. "I didn't mention it just to get a vague answer, _idiota_! Spill!" he said in a voice just over a whisper.

"Let's put them in bed, first," Will said. He threw a laughing smile over his shoulder. "Then I'll tell you everything. Promise."

Nico seemed pleased with that answer.

"Oh," Will realized. "I have some questions for you too, just so you know. How couldn't I?"

It was Nico's turn to snort. "Yes, I suppose you would."

Nico went to the guest room as Will continued down the hallway to Clara's room, where he laid her down and tucked her into her blankets. All the while she never even stirred, her mouth slightly parted with sleep. She looked peaceful, so Will fluffed up her pillows, closed her jaw, and left her to sleep.

Nico was waiting for him outside of the door. "Should we talk in your room?" he asked.

Will thought about it, and he remembered one of the things Aaron had mentioned after Nico had left with Reyna, and he had to refuse that idea. "Could we go outside, instead?"

Nico raised his eyebrows. "Is there a reason?"

"Maybe…"

The werewolf tilted his head. He didn't have anything against the idea, and in the end he allowed it. They told Judith on their way out where they were going, and she bade them a safe walk and for them not to wander too far. It was a cloudy night, she said.

They thanked her and went out the door, into the cool air of night.

Nico breathed in deeply and exhaled. He stretched his arms over his head, arching his back, and stared up at the black sky. "Night smells wonderful, doesn't it?" Will sniffed the air and honestly admitted that he couldn't tell the difference. Nico chuckled sadly and shook his head, taking Will's hand. "Where are we going, Will?"

"A short ways into the woods would be nice," Will said. "Somewhere with a view of the sky," he added as an afterthought.

Nico didn't ask why, leading him down the trail and then sharply off to a tiny clearing Will found immediately familiar.

"This is where we first met," he said, voice almost silent.

Nico looked at the clearing, then at Will. "Yes."

The blond couldn't tear his eyes away from the spot he remembered Ghosty had been, bleeding and dying. He swallowed and cleared his throat. "Would you have made it if Clare hadn't found you that day?"

"I don't know," Nico answered, looking only at Will. He turned so he was fully facing him, and squeezed his hand. "What are you feeling?" he asked.

"I don't know. Glad, I guess." He sucked in a deep breath, released it, and finally looked up at Nico. Tears were budding in his eyes. He hadn't cried in a long time. "I'm glad she found you. I'm glad she brought me to you. I'm glad she was a stubborn ass and wouldn't let up until I let her bring you home. I'm glad to have met you."

"And yet something holds you back. What is it?"

Will swallowed again. "Aaron told me something, just after you left with…um, Reyna. Something you hadn't told me."

Nico furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. Later, Will would wonder why he was able to see everything so well in the dark. Everything was tinged in silver, as though the moon were shining above them. But he was too preoccupied then to notice that there were clouds covering every inch of the sky, let alone the moon.

Will looked back at the field, finding it easier to speak when he wasn't looking into Nico's piercing gaze. "Clarisse, I remember, said that your wolf form was a weakling form. Didn't she say that? Aaron brought it up again—your "original form", I mean—and I—"

Nico had gone rigid. "You want me to show you that form."

Will risked a glance over. "It's the only thing that you haven't told me."

"I haven't told you a great many things. And I can't show you that form."

"What?" Will asked, stunned by the finality in Nico's voice. "Why not?"

Nico looked uneasy. "It's a wild and instinctual form," he said slowly. "Huge, intimidating. I could easily crush you. And I haven't been one before anyone but a werewolf. I don't know if…if I'd instantly kill you or what. I can't risk that."

Somehow, that made Will want to see it even more. He didn't know where his confidence came from, but he used it to his advantage. "I thought you said that you couldn't stand to see the sight of a mate's blood."

Nico narrowed his eyes, but not at Will. "I don't know how deep that feeling runs, Will. I don't know if it would work against my most primal instincts. And I don't want to hurt you. So I _will not do it_ , Will. Don't make me."

"I want to know you, Nico."

Nico covered his head in his hands and groaned. He already sounded defeated. "You're not going to like it."

Will didn't say anything. He raised his hands, pulled Nico's from his face, and looked him dead in the eye. "Please," he said. "No more secrets. You said."

Nico growled, but without any fight in the sound. "You fucking idiot, Nico di Angelo, saying something like that…" he sighed at himself. "Fine," he grumbled. "But only long enough for you to see it. Don't come near me. Okay?"

Will nodded.

Nico turned away, angry with himself, and Will grabbed onto the hem of his shirt. "Wait."

Nico turned back.

Will reached forward and took Nico's face between his hands, studying him. The Italian's eyes widened and his cheeks darkened, but he did not pull away. Will knew he was being an idiot, but he didn't stop himself from leaning forward and pressing their foreheads together.

Nico took Will's wrists. For a moment the blond feared he was rejecting the touch, but when he just left his hands over Will's, he calmed.

"I'm sorry for being such a nuisance," Will said.

Nico stared at him. Then he growled and gripped Will's wrists tightly. "What are you apologizing for, _idiota_? You've done nothing wrong."

"I feel like I've done everything wrong."

Nico pulled away. "You're talking nonsense."

Will sighed. "Yes, I know. I'm sorry to be acting this way. I just…I don't know. Everything's confusing me right now."

"Can you think of what it is?"

"Feelings, I guess. I don't know."

Nico nodded. "It's alright. I know exactly what you mean. And we have time, Will. Time enough for you to think things over. I'm happy enough like this, for now." And he sounded sincere, his words leaping off the trees and into the oblivion of sky above them. Sealing a promise.

"For now?" Will asked, voice edging towards joking.

Nico offered a crooked grin that looked fucking _hot_. " _Yes_."

The werewolf let Will's hands slide out of his own and backed up to the other edge of the small clearing, the silver gleam shining over him like molten metal. "I will need to strip," he called loudly—too loud—to Will. The other man sputtered and blushed like a teenager, coaxing a laugh from Nico.

Will turned away as he wrestled out of his shirt, looking up at the cloudy night sky above them. Things were calm that night—no lack of wildlife sounds that would have alarmed him in any way. He had never been one for night, but this was bearable. He was with Nico. He could _see_.

A shuddering noise brought Will's attention back to where Nico was—and he bit back a gasp.

Where Nico had been moments before now stood—crouched—a looming form twice Will's size, almost thrice. A body of pure muscle and pitch black fur, on a low-set wolfish face but much more aggressive. If he would stand, he would be about half the height of the mature trees, towering over Will. Even crouched, he was taller than the blond. A small tail swished between his polished back claws, each probably the size of Will's forearm. Maybe even his full arm. But it was still…Nico.

Will tilted his head, taking a tentative step forward. Nico's werewolf ears—the same size as Ghosty's, but much smaller on his werewolf head—flattened against his head. He made a warning growl in the back of his throat. _"You said,"_ he muttered. His voice was Nico's, too. Except deeper. Darker.

Will raised up his hands and retreated a step. "S-Sorry…"

Nico exhaled and made a deep noise Will didn't recognize. He sniffed the air and pawed the hard-packed ground below him. _"I still smell your scent,"_ Nico said. He made his own step forward, leaning against his forelegs. _"You smell different, though. Different."_

Will didn't know how to respond. So he didn't.

Even from across the field, Will could see the silver spark in Nico's small eyes. He smelled the air again and shook his head like a dog. _"It's stronger. I've never…"_ He scented the air a third time, the same noise from earlier returning. _"You don't smell like food."_

"W-Well, thank you," Will said, trying for sarcasm but failing. His voice cut off with a squeak.

A shuddering noise shook the earth beneath the blond's feet. Nico was laughing. He stepped forward again, hesitant, and ducked down his head to sniff at the ground. _"That is a good thing,"_ Nico supplied. _"It means this form accepts you on some level. I'm sorry, though. This form has a bit of a mind of its own, so I was worried that it might…"_

"What do you mean?" Will mumbled, stumbling over his words. "Accepting me, I mean."

Nico stepped forward again, a deliberate movement. He was already halfway across the field, his strides long in that form. _"You smell different from what I have before. This nose doesn't smell like a wolf's. Not entirely. It goes by emotional bonds. If there is a family member nearby, this nose will recognize it faster than my other two noses. Like now. I can smell Clara's scent here, old and faint from the rains. But it still remains. And it smells the same as it would for Aaron or my immediate family. But…you're different."_

Will swallowed, his throat suddenly dry. "Oh?"

Nico was edging closer, growing bolder. _"Yes. Though I'm not familiar with it, I think I have an idea…"_

"Wh—What is it, do you think?"

Nico's breath fanned Will's face, and a smell of pine trees and spring rain greeted him. Will forced himself not to back away. Not to retreat—and not to step forward and touch Nico's muzzle, as he'd done with Ghosty countless times before.

Nico stretched forward, almost in invitation. _"I'm not entirely certain. I don't want to guess and have it be wrong. It would hurt us both."_ He looked around, as though suddenly realizing where he was—and how close he was to Will in his current state. _"But this form seems to speak for itself."_

Will furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

Nico leveled his gaze back on Will, eyes warming with amusement. And the shock just vanished in that instant. Will smiled back. _You have the same eyes._

Nico stared at him in shock, and Will realized that he had spoken the thought aloud. _"What…?"_

Will shrugged his shoulders and reached forward, touching either side of Nico's wide werewolf muzzle. The fur was surprisingly soft there—a fine fuzz among the thick fur everywhere else on him. Nico flinched away at first, but when the blond kept holding out his arms for him, he slowly returned his muzzle into his hands.

"You have the same eyes," Will repeated, stroking the fur under one of them. "They've never changed, Nico. Not since Ghosty. Not since your human form. Not since _you_. You're the same."

 _"But I'm not,"_ Nico insisted, his moving jaws shifting Will's grip. _"I am uglier, more brutal. More dangerous. In this form, I am Death. I am my father. I am Hades."_

"No," Will whispered, looking from one eye to the other. Both were the same dark shade he'd come to recognize. Both were lined in the silver of the moon. "You're _you_. You've never changed. Not since the moment we met here, in this field. Not for an instant." He stroked Nico's cheeks slowly, curling his fingers in the warm fur. "You're _Nico_ ," he breathed.

Nico's giant form shivered. _"Will._ Idiota. _"_

His werewolf nose pressed gingerly into Will's stomach, and Nico was transforming again. Soon he was naked and human, but Will couldn't focus anywhere but the heated spark in Nico's eyes. Ones that were brought so, so close to his.

Nico cupped Will's jaw with a hand, callouses gently sliding over the stubble there. "And you are _Will_ ," Nico said, voice softer than the breeze.

Will nodded, struck dumb in the moment.

Then Nico smiled—a smile so full of happiness and hope that it made Will's heart cartwheel in his chest. "Will. _My_ Will."

Nico wrapped him up in a hug, burrowing his nose in the mess of blond hair behind Will's ear. Will didn't hesitate to return the gesture, resting his hands flat on the plains of the Italian's bare shoulder blades. Heat radiated from Nico at night, Will had learned long ago. As though the shine of the moon and the stars in the abyss of the night sky seemed to give him power. And as Will looked at him now—eyes and hair black and his body silver as the moon—he could see the kinship he shared with the night. They were almost one person.

Curling his arms tighter around the werewolf, Nico returned the hug with a small kiss to Will's neck. His breath ghosted over the other man's skin, ruffling his hair. A warm murmur spoke from Nico's lips, but Will didn't hear what was said.

All around him, all chills were replaced by the warm embrace of night—

And Will never wanted to let go.

 **~ΨΩΨ~**

 ** _A/N:_** **Still a better love story than Twilight. *winks and struts off the stage***


	15. Chapter 14: Spark

**_Chapter 14:_** **Spark**

Clara's squeal of excitement drew Nico and Will's attention from their hushed conversation, man and wolf, heads close together, on the couch. "Uncle Mike! _You're here_!"

Nico chuckled softly and tucked his forelegs under his body. _"Seems as though the guests are arriving early for Clarina's party."_

"Michael would never miss Clare's birthday. Not for the world."

The werewolf sent him a warm, amused glance, silencing as Clara came into the room, Michael in tow behind her. Will's brother appraised the room with a hint of surprise and admiration. Nico and Aaron had gone out with Clara while Will had been working to gather the decorations—she wanted a moonlit party. Silver, black, white ribbons, glitter…they had gone all out to make the entire room look like the woods at night. A dark carpet stretched the length of the room with the same shade hanging over the walls from curtains. The lights were dimmed but for little white electric candles that flickered as though they were the real thing scattered over the floor. White lights hung from the curtains and hugged the ceiling sparsely, resembling stars. On the couch Will and Nico sat on, a thin throw-rug stood contrasted against the dark of the couch and the rest of the room. It was sure to have black fur on it, but otherwise it was the moon of Clara's night.

"It's gorgeous," Mike said. "Astounding. Did you do this, Will?"

Will smiled at his brother, sharing a knowing glance with his daughter. "I did next to nothing, Mike."

Michael's eyebrows rose. "Who, then? The door man?"

"It was Nico!" Clara supplied helpfully. She saw her father's sharp look of warning and giggled. "Oh, sorry! That was a surprise. Don't tell anyone I said that."

Mike frowned and looked between Clara and Will suspiciously. "Who?"

Will waved a dismissive hand at his brother. "Don't worry about it, okay? You'll see him soon enough."

Nico—currently Ghosty—coughed and nosed Will's outstretched arm.

Ghosty's action caught his brother's attention. "I see you still have him," he mused, all thoughts of Nico apparently slipping from his mind. "Weren't you going to return him to the wild? It'll be next to impossible, now. He'd be too used to human attention."

It was Will's turn to cough. "Got a bit attached," he muttered.

Clara giggled again.

Ghosty huffed and nudged Will again, eyes gleaming.

The man gave the werewolf a gentle rap on the head. Ghosty bit him. Will laughed, returning his attention to his brother, his hand returning to Ghosty's head to scratch him behind the ears. "Well, no matter what happened, he's here."

Michael smiled. The look was almost relieved. "That's good, brother. I'm happy for you all."

"Hey, hey! Uncle Mike!" Clara bounced on her heels and tugged on her uncle's shirt. "I want you to sit with me! Here, here!" She dragged him over to a couple of bean bags, closing a circle between chairs and the couch.

"I can't sit down yet!" Mike laughed. "Where am I supposed to put _this_?" He reached into his pocket and came out with a box wrapped in shiny blue paper.

Clara squealed and hugged her uncle tight, narrowly missing collision with the present. "Oh my _gosh_! Thank you! Thank you Uncle Mike!"

While Mike was distracted, Ghosty—Nico—leaned over and whispered in Will's ear, _"I'll make myself scarce after a few more people show up. When is Katherine supposed to arrive?"_

Will did his best to answer without tipping Mike off. "Around the time the party starts, she said. But she'll be packing around three boys."

 _"So late,"_ Nico mused.

Will nodded.

 _"That's fine. I can work with that."_

"Is Aaron outside already?"

The wolf nodded.

"Leave in about half an hour. A few more should arrive by then, but no children."

Children meant anyone curious enough to follow Nico off to the woods and stay there until he came back. The wolf cocked an ear in acknowledgement.

Michael sat down, having left his present at the center of the room, with Clara at his side. "So," he began, turning Will's attention away from Nico. "What else have you all been up to recently, kid?"

Will cleared his throat. "Ah, not much really."

Clara slapped a hand over her mouth to stifle her giggle. Mike looked at her, back at Will, then at Clara again. He was starting to look suspicious. "Not much, hm?" he asked.

Will shot his daughter a look and mimed zipping his lips closed. "Not until _everyone's here_."

Clara repeated the action, locking and throwing away the key. "I won't, Daddy."

"There's my little actress. Don't worry, it won't be much longer."

Michael narrowed his eyes. "What have you two been plotting, exactly?" He focused on his brother, raising a fair eyebrow. "Will?"

The blond grinned rather impishly. "Surprise," he promised.

Michael didn't look convinced. However, before he could breathe another word, Fenwick knocked on the door. "Another guest, Mr. Will Solace."

Will stood. "Who has arrived?"

"Mr. Apollo Solace, sir."

Michael stood also as Fenwick waved their father into the room.

He hadn't changed since the last time Will had seen him, two years ago. Still tall, still with pristine golden hair, still looking like a runaway male model. He wore expensive clothes, his jacket shed and tucked under one arm, his other hand holding a present for Clara. His lips were tipped up in an easy smile—enough to woo anyone, man or woman. "Hello, all." He grinned a devilish smile and offered a wave with his present-occupied hand. "Where might I find the birthday girl?"

"I'm here, Grandpa!" Clara cheered from her seat on the floor. She waved wildly.

"Ah! There she is!" Apollo dropped his jacket over the back of a seat and strode over to collect his granddaughter in a hug. "How is my big girl?" he asked, drawing back to hold her at arm's length. "God, you've gotten so big. How old are you now? Twenty?"

Clara giggled. "No, Grandpa Apollo. Seven! I'm seven!"

"Seven!" Apollo cooed. He patted her on the head. "You look so mature for your age! Beautiful, too. But what can I say? You got it from the best."

Ghosty chuckled soft enough for only Will to notice. _"Very charismatic,"_ he murmured. _"I had wondered where the two of you got that from."_

Will rolled his eyes.

Apollo turned to him and Michael. "And look at the both of you," he said, standing up. He waved his free hand idly. "You've both grown up. Soon you'll be dyeing your hair just like Papa."

Mike scoffed and exchanged glances with Will. "Sure we will, _Dad_."

"I, for one, am very much looking forward to it," Will agreed mock-dryly.

Ghosty snorted, plopping down from the couch and shaking himself off. Apollo stopped and looked at him, vaguely interested. "That's an oddly-colored Husky," he commented.

"Pretty dark for a Husky," Michael agreed.

"Not so much for a wolf, though," Will added.

Apollo looked from one son to the other. "Oh?" He looked back down at Ghosty. "Hm. Well, I suppose you're right," he said some time later, not seeming all that phased. "What's its name?"

"His name is Ghosty!" Clara helpfully supplied.

Said wolf grunted, slinking over to where the girl was hunkered down in her bean bag. He curled up on the floor next to her, watching Apollo and his sons from above his tail.

"Big dog," was all Apollo said in reply. He turned back to Will and Michael. "I trust you've both been well? No issues from workers and coworkers?"

They shook their heads in unison. "Of course not, Dad," Michael said. "And you? Have you had any issue?"

"Had to fire a couple of incompetent workers." Apollo sighed wistfully. "But such is the life of a man such as I."

Another knock announced the arrival of another guest. Kayla stepped in, followed by a lady young in face but silver in hair.

"Ah, Artemis," Apollo breathed. "My dear sister. You look positively _haggard_ this fine summer's day."

"Shove it where the sun don't shine, you idiot," Artemis barked, glowering at her brother. "This isn't _your_ party. Where is my niece?"

Clara leaped to her feet at once. "Aunt Art! You're here!" Her excitement was making her tremble, but that didn't stop her from bounding over to hug her 'Aunt Art' tightly around the waist.

"Ah, there's my dear. Finally seven, I see. You're growing up into a fine young lady."

Clara grinned up at Artemis.

Apollo's sister smiled delicately back. She handed Clara her present—a rather large parcel. "Sadly, I cannot stay very long," she admitted, silver-blue eyes softening at the devastated look on Will's daughter's face. She laid a hand on the girl's shoulder. " _But_ , I intend to return. With a party _ten times_ what this one was. We'll go hunting. How does that sound?"

Like always, Clara's mood was quick to switch back to elated. "Yay! Thanks, Aunt Art!"

Fur brushed against Will's leg. He looked down and met the measured gaze of Ghosty— _Nico_.

He tilted his head to the door. _I should go._

Will nodded. "Hey, Clare," he said, cutting through the mild chatter. "I'm going to take Ghosty out before too many people show up."

Just like her part asked of her, Clara looked blue. "Does he have to go?"

"You remember what happened last time," Will soothed her. "He'll come back after things die down. Let's just _not_ let him get stressed again."

Clara nodded once, twice. "Okay."

Will nodded and walked out of the room, Ghosty at his heels. Kayla whispered a greeting to the wolf and waved, to which the wolf twitched an ear and sighed, pressing closer to Will.

Fenwick bowed as Will passed by, not saying a word in comment. They continued their path to the back door, completely silent save for the sound of their footsteps echoing down the hall.

Nico was the first to speak up. _"Your father…"_ he began. Will looked down at him, stunned to find him shifting from paw to paw, as though he were _nervous_. _"I did not realize he'd be here. Will he be an issue?"_

Will relaxed, lips tipping up in an easy, joking smile. "Absolutely. He's pansexual. _Bound_ to hate you, I swear it."

Nico snorted. _"Right."_

The blond opened the door to the backyard, baring the woods to Nico's sights. "Take care, then," Will said, not really wanting him to leave just yet. "Come back soon."

The werewolf gave him a toothy grin. _"I wouldn't dream of being late to_ Clarina's _birthday party."_

With that, he bounded into the woods.

Will watched him until he disappeared from sight, holding open the door. _This is it_ , he realized, his breath hitching in his chest. He looked over his shoulder, back into his home. Where his family waited. Reluctance flared in him, but he shook it away hurriedly, his hand trembling slightly on the door. He touched his chest, feeling his racing heart under his fingers, and breathed in. He could do this.

Before he could run into the woods after Nico, he spun on his heel and trudged back inside.

 **~ΨΩΨ~**

"So…" Kayla leaned forward, sitting down close to Will on the couch as everyone else chattered around them. A few others had arrived, but there was still time before the party would start. Katherine hadn't yet arrived.

Will raised an eyebrow at his cousin.

Kayla flashed him a knowing smile. "Is a certain _you-know-who_ coming today?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Will replied, not sounding convincing even to his own ears.

It was obvious Kayla wasn't fooled, either. "When is he going to be here?" she said under her breath, glancing over at the crowd around Mont Present.

Will exhaled. "Soon," he said just as quietly. He met gazes with his daughter over the gifts. She grinned and gave her father a thumbs-up. "He might be a bit late, though," he admitted.

"All's fine," Kayla said, excitement bubbling into her words. "I, for one, cannot wait to see him again. It's been a little while since I've last seen him. Will his son be with him?"

Will managed to give her a positive just as Fenwick announced the arrival of a new group of guests, moving out of the doorway to usher in the very person Will had been dreading to see the most.

Katherine zeroed in on Will, scrutinizing him, before she ignored him altogether. Clara greeted them at the doorway, also nervous—but she held more energy than all of the guests combined. She took her present from her mother as Travis brought in his sons and their dog into the room to talk with everyone.

Will's hands clenched and unclenched in his lap. "She's here," he said dumbly.

Kayla heard him and covered his hand with her own. "Don't worry—he'll outshine her in a heartbeat. You'll see."

The blond flashed her a comforted smile.

"Well, it seems everyone's accounted for," Apollo said, glancing over the guests. His gaze landed on Will before sliding over to his granddaughter. "Shall we get started, then?" he asked her, smiling.

Clara's eyes darted over to her father. Will nodded his head.

"Okay!" Clara's eyes held a bit of disappointment, but she stood up and had everyone sit around in the circle without complaint. Mike sat in the bean bag next to hers as Kayla clamped Will on the shoulder, gave him a reassuring smile, and abandoned him to sit with her mother.

The chatter in the room hushed as attention was turned to the birthday girl. The social butterfly.

Clara looked at Will again and fidgeted with the hem of her shirt. Her eyes flew to the door and returned to him. He nodded once, barely moving his head. He gestured for her to begin with his hand.

Clara sighed and nodded. She looked at her family surrounding her, all of them wondering why she was being so _quiet_. She breathed in a deep breath. "Well, I…" She glanced towards the doorway again. "I'm happy everyone came all this way to see me. I know you're all busy, just like Daddy. So, um…" Again, a look towards the door. She froze.

The flip was switched—a gleam returned to her eyes. "You're _here_!"

A chuckle came from the doorway, prompting the entire group to turn and look. Nico and Aaron stood there, hand in hand. The elder looked like he was just about to knock on the door frame, his hand poised by the wood. He let down his hand and settled with hugging Clara when she came bounding into his arms. Aaron was the next one to be pampered.

The boy handed her a tiny box covered in silver wrapping paper, and she was revitalized even further, if that was possible. "You didn't have to do that!" she cried, looking from Nico to Aaron and back. "I'm happy you're here! I don't need anything else."

"Consider it a thank you gift, then," Nico suggested, exchanging amused glances with Will over her head. "Won't you accept that?"

Clara, touched, threw her arms back around the Italians. Once again, she narrowly missed the present. It was lucky Aaron had Nico's quick reflexes.

Apollo leaned back in his chair, staring at the spectacle with mild humor in his blue eyes. "Not to break up a sweet moment," he cut in, waving at Nico to garner his attention. "But, if I might be so bold in asking, who might you be, _monsieur_?"

Kayla was already on her feet and edging towards Nico as he gently dislodged himself from Clara's delighted embrace. She held out her arms to give the man her own hug. "Nico. It's so good to see you. I had a feeling you'd be coming by today."

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," Nico replied. He accepted her embrace and kissed her on the cheek.

"I'd hope not," Kayla said.

They wore identical crooked grins when they pulled back.

"Nico?" Will's brother cut in, recognizing the name. "So you're the one who provided the décor."

Said man nodded at Mike, grin softening to a smile. "I see they've spoken of me," he chuckled, scratching his chin. "You must be Michael, right? Will's brother? It's a pleasure to meet you." He turned his smile to Apollo. "Forgive us. I had forgotten that you didn't know we would be arriving today. My name is Nico di Angelo." He turned slightly and gestured to his son. "And this is my boy, Aaron. Aaron, do say hello."

Aaron bowed slightly. "Hello, sir."

Apollo nodded distractedly, eyes still trained on Nico.

Nico did not fidget under the older man's gaze. He tilted his head.

"Come on, Nico!" Clara said, bouncing on her heels. "Sit down, sit down!"

"That poses a problem, though," Travis piped in, taking a pointing look around the room. "There don't seem to be any spare seats left. Are there any others we can squeeze in?"

"You can sit with me," Will said, surprising everyone. He nodded to the empty space by his side, where Ghosty had been lying only half an hour before. There were coarse black furs on the white fabric, but that didn't bother Will one bit. Nor would it for Nico or Aaron.

Nico's dark eyes warmed. "You're too kind."

Aaron was ushered over to the couch, pausing for a moment to place their present at the very top of the mountain, and sat on the arm of the chair farthest from his _Papi_.

Nico stood over Will, looking at the blond as though waiting to give him permission, again, to let him sit down. Or at least to say something to him. Will decided to oblige him.

"You're late." He meant it to sound accusing, but he found himself smiling like an idiot. He didn't even notice the looks his relatives and friends were giving him.

Nico pressed his lips together, appearing stoical. A corner of his mouth betrayed him, edging upwards with a twitch. His eyes gleamed. "I do hope you'll forgive me."

He sat at Will's side. This time, Clara did not hesitate to begin the party. She was already standing, moving with buzzing energy, a wild grin on her face. "Okay! Everyone's here now!" she announced, giggling. "Again, thanks for being here! This is already my best birthday yet!"

Her eyes were trained on Nico the entire time she spoke.

Nico nodded and graced her with an angelic smile. "It is our pleasure to be here, _caro_."

" _Sì_ ," Aaron murmured.

"I thought you had an accent!" one of Clara's friends' mother piped in. Will couldn't quite recall her name—Rebecca? No, Rachel. "Are you two from Italy?"

Nico smoothed imaginary wrinkles from his dark trousers—a tic he had whenever he was overwhelmed with attention. "I come from Italy, yes. But my son, Aaron, he was born in this country."

Rachel hummed appreciatively. "Where's his mother? Did she have other things to do?"

Nico's back muscles tensed; his smile slipped from his face. "No."

It must have been the curt finality of the way he said it that tipped her off. She sobered, puckered her lips to keep from saying a word, and nodded to him. A silent apology.

The man tried for a smile, but even _that_ looked strained. Aaron eased off the arm of the couch and sat hip-to-hip with his father. Quiet as a mouse, he murmured to him in soothing Italian, drawing from Nico a breathy sigh. He smoothed the boy's unruly hair.

"Anyway," Kayla's voice drew everyone from their uncomfortable silence. "We can play get-to-know-you later. Right now—it's Clara's birthday! What would you like to do first, Clara?"

Clara looked thunderstruck for a moment. "I, um…" She glanced towards the couch. "I had actually wanted to introduce Nico and Aaron to everybody…"

Everyone seemed to shift awkwardly in their seats.

Will looked over at Nico to find his eyes already trained on the blond. The doctor quirked an eyebrow and gave a jerk of the head: _is this the right time?_

Nico's mouth twitched, revealing some remaining amusement. A finger in his lap twitched towards the group in front of them, then curled back to himself. _There won't be a time like this one again. Let's do it._

Will nodded and turned to his daughter. "I think that's a wonderful idea, Clare," he announced. He nodded at her encouragingly. "Why don't you go ahead?"

Clara looked from her father, to Nico, and back at her father. Her blue eyes brightened as the silent conversation they were having registered to her. They practically glimmered. "Okay!" she cheered, clapping her hands and hopping on the balls of her feet.

Will's daughter darted around the present mountain and hopped onto the space between Nico and Will, standing on the couch and facing the crowd. Will would scold her for that later, but for the moment he was too paralyzed by what was about to happen to reprimand her. _She was about to tell them._

Nico, on the other hand, was becoming more humored by the moment. He turned his head so the others wouldn't see him and winked at Will, provoking a blush from the man.

Clara breathed in a dramatic deep breath and gestured wildly towards the werewolf. Nico had to duck to narrowly miss getting hit in the face. "This is Nico! He and Aaron have really cool accents and I love hearing them speak in another language and I hope I get to learn everything that they're saying one day! Daddy and I met them—oops, I mean _him_. Nico. We met _Nico_ several months ago. It'll be a year soon, I think. No? Well, I love Nico. I love Aaron, too. I'm happy Nico brought him so I could meet him! Anyway. Side-tracked. What was I saying again?"

Kayla laughed. "Just tell them already, girl! I can practically taste the suspense!"

Katherine's suspicious voice came next. "Tell us _what_ , exactly?"

Clara bounced excitedly, stirring everyone on the couch. Her bright eyes swung from her father to Nico. She didn't seem to hear her mother at all. She wasn't nervous, not one bit. "Nico is my _babbo_!" she declared, puffing out her chest. Proud. "Nico is Daddy's _boy-friend_!"

One second passed. Two. Then, the actual chaos struck.


	16. Chapter 15: Glow

**_Chapter 15:_** **Glow**

Katherine was the only one who hadn't leapt from their seat. The only one who was silent.

Nico and Will had waded into the crowd to face the onslaught. The blond had expected something terrible to happen—for someone to disclaim him or say that he had dishonored the family name or something extreme like that. But it was quite the opposite.

Apollo had slapped him proudly on the back. _"That's my boy! Taking after your father, as always."_

Kayla, to be expected, had been jittery with excitement. _"Why do you look like a deer in the headlights? You finally outed yourselves, you dolt! So don't you be missing any family reunions. You hear me, di Angelo?"_

Michael seemed a bit uncertain at first, but otherwise acted pleased. _"If Clare loves him already, that's good enough for me. Welcome to the family, bud,"_ he said. He gave Nico a hearty slap on the back, just like Apollo.

Artemis seemed to be the least pleased of them all, her nose upturned and her posture stiff. Her words, however, had contradicted with her manner entirely. _"I'm not too fond of men. You and your brother are about as much as I can handle. However, if you think you love this man, then I won't fight you about it. Perhaps he can help screw your head on a little tighter. That way, you_ at least _won't end up as air-headed as your bachelor geezer of a father."_

Apollo had gasped, his hand grabbing his shirt right over his heart. _"Artemis, please!"_

Those more at ease in the group chuckled a bit at that.

Everyone else, in turn, voiced their joy about the situation. None of them had insulted either of them, which was a plus for Will. He had expected more out of that moment. Something worse—something violent. But even Travis had come up to them with good words, even if those had been to " _use protection, kids!_ " with an accompanied wink. It was really starting to calm Will down. He had nothing to fear. Everyone accepted them—they even seemed to _like_ Nico and his son. He breathed a sigh of relief and exchanged warm glances with Nico. _It would be okay._

Then Katherine finally made her presence known.

She coughed from her seat and stood gracefully, wading into the crowd to give her ex-husband a cool look. "William," she said, her voice cutting into the noise like a jagged blade. Her entire persona was calm. Too calm, rather—it was _steely_. Will's senses went on high-alert again.

Nico stepped closer to him as Katherine stopped. Their hands found each other, lacing comforting fingers.

Katherine seemed to size Nico up with her eyes. Her mouth turned down in a thoughtful frown. "Your name," she began. "It's Nico, right?"

"Nico di Angelo, yes," the Italian replied, his own voice guarded. He raised his chin, making himself seem taller. "And you are Katherine Stoll?"

Katherine nodded. "I am. I suppose you've heard of me, then."

"Plenty," Nico replied vaguely.

Silence stretched on between them.

Apollo coughed, breaking the strained moment. "Son," he spoke to Will, gesturing toward Katherine with pointed eyes. " _Introduce_ him."

Will cleared his throat awkwardly. "But Father, she already knows…"

He received a glare from his father and a small chuckle from Nico.

His eyes darted to the latter. "Don't make fun of me," he complained.

Lights were dancing in the werewolf's eyes. He gestured his head, black locks of hair falling over his cheeks, and smirked up at the blond. The look was playful, innocent. "Go ahead," he murmured. "Introduce me."

Will sighed. "Alright, fine," he said. He turned back to Katherine. "This is Nico di Angelo, my boyfriend. Nico, this is Katherine Stoll. Happy now?"

"Hardly," Nico said, but he was smiling. He butted his head against Will's shoulder affectionately.

Katherine looked the two of them up and down. Slowly, she said, "I figured you would have preferred a woman."

Easy enough to suppose—all Katherine knew of his romantic life was when he was with her. Will shrugged. "I've never really been someone to prefer any one gender. I'd rather choose based on character."

She didn't look convinced. "How long have you two been together?"

"It hasn't actually been too long," Will admitted. He looked at Nico. "What was it? Three months? Four?"

"Something of that nature," Nico replied.

Will scratched his jaw thoughtfully. "I'm not too sure when we decided it was official. There was a long gap there where I wasn't certain if it was actually happening or if you were playing with me."

"Playing with you?" Nico asked, eyebrows rising. "Why, did I confuse you that much with that moment in the hospital? I know it was meant for your coworkers to believe, but I never intended for _you_ to be confused."

Will huffed, embarrassed. "I wasn't talking about that!" he defended himself. "I meant _after_. _After_!"

Nico's eyes were teasing. "If you say so."

Clara giggled, and Will looked down to find his daughter and Nico's son next to them. Aaron was at Nico's side, and Clara was at Will's side, bouncing on her heels excitedly. She looked like she was borderline ready to burst out into a story about the two of them. Will was quick to make sure that didn't happen.

"Anyway," he said just as Clara opened her mouth. He earned a pout. "Even though it really hasn't been very long since we got together, I'm happy being with him. I think that's what counts."

"I'm happy with him, too!" Clara added cheerfully, raising a hand.

"Me too," Aaron mumbled into his father's shirt.

Will laughed and patted his daughter's head. "Yes. That's what matters most."

She beamed up at him.

He smiled gently and turned back to Katherine. "You see? That's what's best."

His ex-wife looked accusing, which caught the man off guard. "I figured you would have told me of this sooner."

Will cleared his throat awkwardly. "Yes, well—I was going to. That is, I really was going to until you started making it seem mandatory that I find a good woman to take care of Clare. Then it kind of ended up as a…joke."

Nico chuckled. "You're right about that," he stepped in. A mischievous smile curved his lips. "The fact that I was not a woman at all—I had wondered how exactly you would react to that, Katherine. I wanted to see that reaction in person, however selfish it was of me. Either way, I had never met you before now. This makes for a bittersweet meeting, doesn't it?"

Katherine looked stunned. "Bittersweet, you say…"

"Yes," Nico replied. His smile took a vicious turn, but it was so subtle that only Will noticed. Nico pulled his son closer to himself, a motion that Will knew was to protect Aaron from knowing what his father was thinking. After a moment, Nico forced his face to soften. He looked over at Katherine's husband and children in the crowd. "You have a lovely family. Will told me all three were a bright bunch."

Katherine looked at Will, suspicious. "…They are."

Nico's voice sounded innocent enough, but there was a hard light to his eyes. "And those children are a handsome two. Are they yours?"

Katherine didn't even hesitate. "Yes. They are."

The Italian tilted his head and lifted his eyebrows. "Is that right? How nice. They look like you. How old are they?"

Katherine was still looking at Will. "Six and nine."

Nico's eyebrows shot up almost to his hairline.

Will flinched. He quickly hissed to the werewolf, cutting him off from whatever else he was about to say. "Er, Nico, it's best not to mention—"

"Is it?" Nico said cooly. He looked at Katherine. She had paled considerably, but she was keeping up a calm demeanor. "Is it really?"

"What's wrong, Nico?" Clara asked, blinking up at them innocently. Even she didn't seem to catch the meaning of the exchange.

In fact, none but Nico, Will, and Katherine herself seemed to catch on.

Nico cocked his head in the other direction. He was starting up an angry tic that his wolf form had, where he moved his head from side to side with every statement someone said. This one said: _you think I'm an idiot, but I'm on to you._

"Please," Will whispered. "Let this one lie. It's been so long, and we're not even together anymore…"

Wearing her own poker face, only Katherine's eyes said anything. Her gaze was almost as fierce as Nico's. "Is something the matter?" she asked, voice strained.

Nico's head tilted the other way. He looked at Will, to Katherine, and back. He didn't look happy.

Taking in a deep breath, Will mouthed, _not today_.

Clara would learn in her own time, after all—just not on her birthday. Not with all of the family around to know. Not with so many around that not only Will was humiliated, Clara would be too. She didn't deserve that. Not on her birthday. His father would tell her eventually, but not on her birthday.

The werewolf's eyes cleared. He had read Will's expression flawlessly. "Fine," he said. He turned back to Katherine. "Nothing's wrong. Nothing at all. I was merely comparing—my son and Clara have a similar difference in their ages. Eight and five."

Thankfully, Will's relatives came to the rescue. "Aaron is _five_?" Kayla said, stunned. "But he looks Clara's age!"

"He's quite mature for his age," Nico murmured.

Aaron ducked his head, embarrassed.

Katherine looked down at the boy. Even with the tension emitting in her, something else seemed to soften. "He's a beautiful boy," she commented softly. "And healthy. He seems to love you very much."

Nico's hand on his son's back stiffened. "…Thank you, Katherine."

"You'll treat Clara with that kindness as well, won't you?"

"She is like a daughter to me," Nico said. His head twitched. "I never intended to treat her any different."

With that, Will's ex-wife finally seemed to relax. She straightened and looked the Italian straight in the eye. "I trust that you'll also treat William the same?"

Nico's head tilted, but the movement was gradual. He was calming down some, as well. "If it means anything, you have my word."

Katherine and Nico exchanged looks for a long stretch of silence. As Will watched, he witnessed an uneasy truce form between them, marked from the moment Katherine huffed and turned back to her family and Nico turned back to Will, eyes triumphant if wearied.

"Anyway…" Apollo broke into the silence. "Isn't it about time for presents?"

"Presents!" Clara cheered immediately, waving wildly. "Oh—and cake! Cake too! C'mon Daddy and _Babbo_ , let's go eat some cake! Hey, Aaron! I'll race you to the kitchen!"

And as Clara and Aaron dashed off, the party began.

 **~ΨΩΨ~**

A few hours later, all of the guests had left satisfied and full of cake. Will excused himself as well while Clara played with some of her gifts with Aaron. Not waiting for a positive from the distracted children, he snuck out to the courtyard.

The silence was a blessing after all of the shit that had gone down during the party. Will breathed a sigh of relief and watched the sky darken minutely.

"You did a good job," Nico said, suddenly beside him. Startled, the blond spun around to face him and opened his mouth to speak, but Nico placed his hand over Will's lips, stopping him. The werewolf was smiling with soft eyes. Even in the dying light, the dark rings under them seemed somehow less pronounced, making him look younger. "It must have been difficult for you to speak to her like that."

Will tried again to speak, but Nico didn't let him.

"Don't talk, Will. Let me say my piece."

He waited until Will nodded; then he tapped the blond's mouth and moved his hand over to his cheek. Nico's hair was in his face again—a ruffled mess that stuck up every which way. It had become an endearing look to Will over the months, and Will didn't know how he could have survived without it for so long.

Nico's smile waned slightly, but the warmth was still present. "It really hasn't been very long since we first met each other," he murmured, features thoughtful. "And yet so much has happened in that time. I wonder sometimes what it was that triggered this, but I realize that it was a chain of events. It's like wandering in a labyrinth—you choose which doors to walk through, and you hope that your choices were the best ones."

He examined Will, seeming to look right into his soul. Will tried not to squirm from the intensity of his gaze.

"I'm glad I chose to stay with you and _Clarina_ ," he declared. He raised his chin, looking up at Will with pride gleaming in his eye. "My pack might not agree with me—but they do not own me. There is not a day in which I regret deciding to stay. So, despite the pains we have all suffered, I hope to live with you for a long while. With your consent, that is."

Will couldn't believe what he was hearing. His lips tugged upwards. "Really?"

Nico gave him a positive.

"I—er—me too," Will mumbled, cheeks warming.

The answering smile Will received was a laugh and a promise for more all wrapped into one. "Good," he almost purred. "Because I intend to make the most of every spare moment we have."

A stupid "oh?" was all Will could muster.

Nico's smile took on a devilish turn. With utmost care, he wound his fingers through Will's hair and drew the blond down almost to his level. "I _did_ say I would see what all of the fuss was about," he whispered, his lips struggling with his smile. He was trying to stifle it, but to no avail. "It's about time I figured it out."

Gentle as the breeze itself, Nico leaned up and kissed him.

Will's mind all but short-circuited after that. All he remembered clearly was curling his own fingers in Nico's hair, Nico's laughing during the kiss, and hearing the most embarrassing moan that had ever come out of his mouth. Will had a feeling Nico had been laughing _because_ of the noise he made.

Everything else happened in a flash of warmth—too fast. He regretted not being able to remember more after Nico pulled back. He wanted to treasure that moment, however brief.

His disappointment died when he saw Nico lick his lips, as though tasting the flavor of the kiss. The werewolf was still smiling. "Pretty good," Nico commented, looking up at Will through dark eyelashes. "For a first try."

Will swallowed. He was sure he looked like an idiot: staring at Nico like a love-struck fool. Words practically flew from his mouth. "It's a practice thing."

Lights danced in Nico's eyes. "Is that right?"

Trying his best not to look too enthusiastic, Will nodded.

Nico's smile widened. It seemed he saw right through Will's mask of indifference. "We'll have to do something about that, then." But right when Will was sure Nico was going to kiss him again, the Italian sighed. "Yet we should probably head back now," Nico murmured, looking over Will's shoulder. He sounded hesitant, as though he didn't quite want to leave yet. Butterflies fluttered in Will's stomach.

However much Will also wanted to stay for a little longer, he knew the Italian was right in the end. The kids were bound to start wondering where they were—and start wandering. He didn't want to start getting caught in embarrassing situations any time soon.

With a disappointed sigh, he turned to head back to where Clara and Aaron were playing in the living room. She was quite happy with the wolf plush Katherine had given her—she had been playing with it just as Will and Nico had snuck off to be alone. He expected to see her exactly the same the moment they walked back in.

"Hey, Will," Nico said suddenly.

Will turned back to the Italian, raising an eyebrow.

In his hands was a tiny box covered in silver wrapping paper—Clara's birthday present. It was the only one she hadn't opened yet. "I want you to be the one to give _Clarina_ this," Nico said to Will.

Will was taken aback. "Shouldn't you be the one to…?"

But Nico was already shaking his head. "I think she will be happiest if she received the gift from _you_ , Will."

Uncertain, the blond took the present from the werewolf and weighed it in his hand. It was light—but the gift was more valuable in symbolism than anything. Somewhere inside, a small crescent moon hairpin was nestled in a bed of fabric. "But I figured that you and Aaron would give it to her…"

Nico touched Will's cheek. "You know why we got this for her," he said warmly. He leaned up and kissed the stubble starting to grow along Will's jaw. "And none of this would have been possible if it wasn't for you, Will. I owe you my life, and so I give it to you. I give you my spirit, my life—my _ghost_."

Will couldn't help but smile.

 _"Hey, Clare,"_ _Will murmured, sitting down with his daughter on the edge of her bed. She was tucked in to sleep, but her eyes blinked at her father's words. She was wide awake. "I've been wondering… Why did you decide to name the wolf Ghosty? Is there a specific reason?"_

 _Clara grinned up at him and giggled. She loved to talk about the wolf. "Of course there is, Daddy! Ghosty is the name I gave him because of that first night we met him. I remember that while I was following him as he limped through the woods he was as dark as the shadows. But when he fell in that clearing, he had seemed to glow silver. It was only the moonlight, but I remember the shock I had felt. He had been dying—and I felt as though I had just seen his ghost leave him. But he was brought back when we heard you coming after me. He had been a ghost in the moonlight, Daddy. But then he was brought back to life. He was Ghosty."_

Will leaned down and kissed Nico on the head. He smoothed down the werewolf's hair, but it did little good. "I love you," he announced, smiling uncontrollably down at Nico. "God, I can't believe how quickly it's gone, but…I hope this lasts a long time. I've been so happy with you, with Clara, and even your little Aaron. I don't know how I was so blind to forget about family."

"We all stumble as we walk through life," Nico said. "But it's a matter of if you get back up when you fall, or if you allow yourself to wither away. I almost gave up. It was because of you and your daughter that I didn't. And I don't intend to give up now."

They kissed again, a warm presence on Will's lips.

"I love you too," Nico murmured. Then he drew back. His dark eyes were filled to the brim with emotion—and Will was sure he was the same. He felt elated. "Why don't we go and give _Clarina_ her present now?" Nico suggested. "Then we can finish what we started here."

"Finish?" Will asked. Despite himself, he could feel his cheeks warming at the prospect. "Finish what?"

Nico drew him down and kissed him a third time—slow, sensual. "Not sex, of course." The Italian winked and smirked. "I've never had the urges for sex, so you can calm down about that. However…I believe I told you once about the rituals werewolves have for marking their mates. Do you remember?"

Will's cheeks burned worse. He didn't breathe a word—the werewolf could see everything he was thinking on his face.

Nico chuckled lowly. "It's about time I follow tradition."

He kissed him on one cheek, then the other, and took Will's free hand to lead him back to where Clara and Aaron were waiting. The moon shone down on him for one instant, highlighting his hair in silver, and Will was struck with the memories of the few months they had really been together. It seemed like years had gone by.

Even if Nico was a werewolf, Will loved him to the core. He had become precious to the blond, and to Clara, and he wasn't ready to let him go. Like Nico had said, it was time he finished getting up from his fall and start living his life to the fullest.

Living life with his new family—

And with his new partner.

His Ghosty.

 ***End of Ghosty***

 **~ΨΩΨ~**

 **A/N: I thank each and every one of you for sticking with me to this moment. Originally, I had planned to write more for this wonderful story, but I realize now that I have other things I should work on. So, let us end here for now on a good note. See you all again!**

 **~FaiK**


End file.
